


Just Give Me a Reason

by baeconandeggs, ExoAsLife



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluffy, Hate to Love, Infidelity, M/M, Mpreg, Secret Crush, long-fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:01:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExoAsLife/pseuds/ExoAsLife
Summary: In which Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are bestfriends;  Kyungsoo is happily married to Chanyeol. The couple already wants a child, but Kyungsoo can't bear any off-springs. So they ask Baekhyun for help.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai, Lu Han/Oh Sehun
Comments: 20
Kudos: 302
Collections: BAE2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE541  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> **Author's Note:** It took a long time to finish this story, but it is finally finished and delivered.  
> I am grateful for the availability of the betas who helped me, even if they did not reach the end of this journey with me. I thank you for all the deadlines and messages exchanged at strange times.  
> I hope you like it, as I am enjoying participating in the BAE challenge this year.

[B]

"Now that we have decided to calm down and wait for results, he just won't approach me." Kyungsoo frustratingly revealed while playing with his naengmyeon noodles. Baekhyun was almost certain that the noodles were already soaked and the broth was no longer cold. His confessions about his sexual problems always came after the waiters served their orders.

That cold gray morning, they decided to get away from the chaos and stress of going out and have lunch at one of the restaurants around the neighborhood where the company was located.

Usually, Baekhyun allowed Kyungsoo to reveal all the nasty details of his married life. However, in recent weeks, the subject has been just about loving sex sessions and dreams for the future between the couple, as well as lack of positive outcome for a pregnancy.

"What do you think?" Kyungsoo asked, casting a curious look at Baekhyun, who until then was distracted by a young couple sharing a dessert with a very passionate look.

"Can you repeat what you said?"

“I was saying we’re not having sex. How can I get pregnant if we don't have sex anymore?”

He was pretty sure that his friend was not only missing sex, but also the affection and care his husband showed after the act. He had always been a person lacking attention, especially of his husband. Baekhyun could feel his face heat at the thought of commenting on the subject, yet he averted his curious gaze and took a deep breath before working out an answer that would satisfy the other's anxieties:

"You should be patient." he muttered as he fiddled with his food without realizing it. "Maybe he's just tired."

"Are you trying to support him?" Kyungsoo asked, raising one of his bushy eyebrows, placing both elbows on the table as he leaned toward Baekhyun.

"What? Of course not.” He answered with a little disbelief and his friend sighed and relaxed in his chair, finally stopping his monologue to taste his soup.

Years had passed since Kyungsoo and Chanyeol met in a dark, noisy nightclub on one of Itaewon's streets. Thanks to Baekhyun's insistence on taking him out on a Saturday night. How a helpful and concerned friend had watched and evaluated all the fleeting and occasional glances, the long minutes on the dance floor, and the sloppy, drunken kisses that very night.

Baekhyun never imagined that Kyungsoo would have met the same nightclub man the following week. But when he knocked on his parents' door late at night with the news that this had been the best time of his life, it was all gone obviously of course.

After a few months of relationship, Baekhyun was finally introduced to Chanyeol. Initially they tried to be friendly, but there were many differences between their personalities and there was no logical explanation for the hatred that Chanyeol seemed to cherish deeply for Baekhyun. And every time they met, Baekhyun felt frightening chills as he felt Chanyeol's eyes following him.

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had fallen madly in love with each other quickly.  tw elve months of dating was enough for them to get to know each other, get engaged, and have a small, simple wedding the following year.

"Have you thought about seeking medical advice?" Baekhyun asked after a moment of silence, when they finally finished their meals and rested a few minutes before the lunch break was over.

"I have an appointment next week with the doctor who is monitoring Han." He answered enthusiastically. "I still can’t believe that Han and Sehun are about to become parents." He added later, with a small smile on his face at the mention of the couple that was about to become parents.

The desire to have a child was aroused when Han - one of Kyungsoo’s office friend and employees, who also worked alongside Baekhyun as an assistant - began to show symptoms of pregnancy such as morning sickness, disturbing mood swings, and insatiable hunger.

When Han and Kyungsoo presented the results of a urine test confirming the pregnancy a week later, Baekhyun could not understand their shared ecstasy.

He had never invested effectively in a serious relationship. He always knew that one day he would take his parents' place in the family business. That was what both parents expected of him. And at twenty-eight years, there was no room for commitments that weren't essential for business, or thoughts about starting a family.

However, dreaming was still allowed. Baekhyun secretly dreamed of a big, happy family where his children would be his exact replica with beautiful mixtures of his and his husband's characteristics. Growing up as an only child, Baekhyun lived in a big, eerily quiet house. Thus, in his dreams he always envisioned two or three children running around the rooms of a small apartment, a loving and caring husband who would help him bathe, feed, and play with the children after returning from work at night.

"I'm also looking forward to finally meeting Yimin and Yujie." He confessed with a lovely smile and red cheeks. The two had watched Han's pregnancy over the past few months until his doctor recommended a work permit. Carrying the twins was a rather difficult task, and Han's small stature and appearance were beginning to show alarming signs of exhaustion and stress.

"I want babies." Kyungsoo whimpered pitifully as he accompanied Baekhyun out of the restaurant.

After lunch, he spent hours sitting in a large, uncomfortable chair inside a heated room, glass walls, and slides with unnecessary text at a long meeting with the company's finance department. Listening to all the suggestions of its shareholders, economists and lawyers about the latest investment proposals offered by trading partners within the company's annual budget.

At eight o'clock, when the meeting finally ended, his assistant walked him into his office to sort out some documents that needed his approval. When Kyungsoo yawned between an explanation, Baekhyun looked at the watch on his wrist and was startled to realize how late it was. Immediately, he dismissed his friend and assistant and left the office while calling a driver who could take him home safely.

At the end of another day, Baekhyun found himself exhausted and alone in the backseat of his car.

At his apartment, he discarded his shoes at the entrance and fell onto the overly large sofa in the center of the room, turning on the television in a music program with demanding jurors, at full volume in an attempt to chase away the silence and solitude of the two-thousand square meters apartment. A long sigh escaped his lips as he faced the papers that needed to be studied, then thought back to Kyungsoo, who at that moment should be preparing an incredibly delicious home- cooked dinner while his husband helped him and updated him on the lyrics and songs he was currently developing.

Shaking his head, he got up and grabbed the folder and carried them to the office on the porch. Untying his tie, he sat in his chair and began flipping through the documents for the next hour.

When he realized that he was sleeping at short intervals between reading, Baekhyun eventually gave up and crawled into his bedroom to fall into bed and sleep without second thoughts.

*

The morning had been a little turbulent without their assistant principal, and the return of a pseudo-meeting with their parents on their lunch break, he stepped off the elevator wishing to have a rest while walking slowly down the aisle between the meeting rooms on your floor when you heard someone crying in the staff rest area.

Slowly and cautiously, Baekhyun approached and pushed the glass door to find his assistant crying wildly on the floor holding his phone. Concerned, he immediately entered the room and moved toward his friend.

"Soo... What happened?" Baekhyun asked and whispered, wiping his reddened cheeks and stained with Kyungsoo angry tears.

"Ba-ek..." Kyungsoo stammered as he tried to reveal what was happening and realizing his state Baekhyun got up and filled a glass with. He took a few sips before pushing the glass and shaking his head and his eyes were frighteningly red, as if he had been crying for some time. "A few days ago, I needed a time off an appointment with Han’s doctor." He muttered in an injured tone of voice. "The results came out this morning."

Baekhyun could imagine that if the results of these tests had not been positive, he would not have found Kyungsoo crying alone in one of the company rooms.

Even so, he asked, “So what did the tests reveal?”

“I am infertile. I am unable to have my own children.” Kyungsoo revealed and new tears ran down his face, Baekhyun hugged his friend in an attempt to comfort and lessen his heartbreak. "I can't have children."

"It's okay." Baekhyun muttered under his breath, running his hand slowly over Kyungsoo's back as he melted into tears and sobs. “You should not give up. It may be hard to accept this news now, but that doesn't mean you should give up the idea of having a family. ”

“But how can I tell him that? Chanyeol will be disappointed with me.” He confessed. "I need him with me." He whimpered as he looked up again, blinking before pulling back and cringing against the wall.

Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol would understand Kyungsoo could not beget his son, but he would never believe they would separate because of it. After all, they were in love and would find a way around this situation to stay together and build a family.

"If you need my help-..."

"No." Kyungsoo interrupted him sharply, placing a hand over Baekhyun's resting on his leg. “I appreciate your help, but I need to do it myself. He is my husband.”

"Fine." He murmured a little embarrassed and sad. "Can I at least take you home?"

"Would you do it?"

"Sure. I am your best friend. And I'm here to support you and help you with anything you need.” Kyungsoo smiled and accepted his help to get off the ground, Baekhyun led him to the elevator and guided him through the parking lot.

The trip to the rented apartment building was quick and smooth, Kyungsoo fell asleep with his head resting on the car window due to tiredness. He went into his friend's apartment and offered to prepare some tea while the other wiped his face and gathered some blankets and lay on the living room sofa.

"I need to go." Baekhyun said, setting down his tea cup on the coffee table and grabbing his coat and keys forgotten in the other armchair.

"Thank you." Kyungsoo muttered, raising his arms from his comfortable position on the couch for a quick hug, Baekhyun leaned into the hug and placed a kiss on his hair before heading for the door.

As he shimmied his shoes in the doorway and checked his appointments in the electronic organizer, he didn't notice the movement and the soft sound of the door being opened. Only when Baekhyun realized he was being covered by a shadow and a tall structure and looking up did he find Chanyeol standing a few inches apart.

_ "Baekhyun?"  _ Chanyeol raised both eyebrows, looking genuinely surprised as he looked at a frozen Baekhyun.

The smaller didn't know what to say at that moment, for he was more focused on the way the older man's eyes slid slowly over his body. He had never intended to see the other man, he swallowed hard and opened his mouth again to say something, but could not remember how to talk with the proximity between them and tension filling his veins.

Kyungsoo's voice roused them both, Baekhyun cringing and pulling away as Chanyeol cleared his throat as he walked through the sliding door to find his husband and kiss him on the lips quickly. He watched the couple join their arms and exchange glances before focusing on the still-frozen figure in the doorway of their apartment.

"What is he doing here, Soo?" The older asked, looking at his husband.

"He offered to bring me home, I wasn't feeling very well." He explained, stroking the other's arm affectionately. "But he was already leaving."

He was a little hurt that Kyungsoo was practically kicking him out of his house, but he wasn't exactly surprised and so just agreed with his words and got his coat.

"I have to go, hope you get well," he said without looking at the couple before leaving the apartment. When he heard the door locked, he finally released the breath he did not realize he kept as the entire scene played out.

[C]

As he watched the door close, Chanyeol took a deep breath and the feeling of nervousness he found upon finding his husband's friend finally dissolved.

And with his thoughts scattered, he was unconsciously led into the small living room, noticing seconds later that there was a mess of blankets on the couch and floor and empty tea cups on the coffee table.

As he sat down, he finally realized that it was not common to find his husband resting midweek, something happened to make him return hours early from work. His guess was confirmed when he turned and found a sad face, puffy red eyes and shaking hands.

Kyungsoo had spent the whole week looking forward to and expecting results for medical exams. Chanyeol had not commented on anything, only accompanied his husband to one of the city's most renowned clinics.

“Is everything okay?” Chanyeol decided to ask in a small whisper, but Kyungsoo absently continued to tug on the strands of one of the blankets that covered his legs. Then when a hand was placed over his and his fingers tightened he finally looked up. "What happened? Did something happen at the company?” He questioned and his answer was just silence, a second later a sob escaped the smaller man's lips, ceasing the moment of silence between them.

Chanyeol pulled back the blankets and dragged Kyungsoo onto his lap, hugging and holding the smaller body in his arms. 

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” He whispered against the younger's shoulder, feeling his breathing quicken and the hot tears on his neck.

"I still don't want to talk about it." He said between his little sobs.

"Soo..."

"You don't need to know that now." He explained as he walked away, capturing his husband's face in both hands. "Do not worry about me. I promise I'll tell you when I'm ready to talk about it.”

Chanyeol just watched Kyungsoo and nodded, trusting and hoping that when he was ready he would confess the real reason for Baekhyun taking him home early and crying desperately on his lap.

However, it was inevitable not to think about the possibility of pregnancy.

Touching Kyungsoo’s forehead, Chanyeol gently kissed the lips that tasted salty because of tears before. His hands slid down the back of his shirt until he found the black hair to hold his head and continue the kiss. Kyungsoo looked surprised and moved away a few inches, pushing Chanyeol's shoulders subtly until his back collided with the couch.

"You n-no ... do you want to?" Chanyeol stammered uncertainty as Kyungsoo never denied or rejected affection and they had not had sex for days, after the talk of letting fate decide on raising the family.

Nothing about Kyungsoo's current behavior was normal, and realizing that made Chanyeol extremely confused, not being able to read his husband was frustrating.

"I want you." He answered after a moment's hesitation, catching his breath and slowly bending to meet his lips again. Kyungsoo's hands were quick to undo the buttons on Chanyeol's shirt, his fingers sliding seductively down his muscled stomach as the movements of his hips quickly aroused their excitement. 

Even without understanding exactly the roller coaster of feelings he felt, Chanyeol circled one arm around his waist and the other around Kyungsoo's leg to lift him easily and carry him into the master bedroom. When they finally found the bed, both bodies were completely naked and eager for their mate's intimate touch.

In that moment, in the room, in the darkness of early evening, Chanyeol made sure that the tears sliding down Kyungsoo's flushed cheeks were due to the love and slow, careful sex they shared. When they became tired, he wiped both their bodies with tissues, changed the dirty sheets, and spent a few minutes watching his husband sleep and breathe with his mouth ajar. 

However, it was early for Chanyeol to allow himself to continue to watch Kyungsoo, silently leaving the room he gathered the materials he brought from the studio and went back to work using his headphones to edit the melodies he had created.

*

Through the haze of sleep and the darkness of the room, he realized that the light in the bathroom was on, and heard small muffled sobs inside the room. Pulling the blankets away from his tired body and barefoot Chanyeol walked quickly to the bathroom and opened the door to find Kyungsoo sitting on the toilet and crying desperately, in his hands was a pregnancy test.

Chanyeol sighed before kneeling on the cold, colorful granite bathroom floor, resting his touch warmly on Kyungsoo's possessive fingers on the unused packaging, discarding the test along with the others on the floor.

"Soo..."

"Why is this happening?" He whimpered between sobs. "Why can't I have a baby?"

"It's all right..." He whispered and kissed his husband's lips lightly, caressing his shoulders affectionately before deciding to guide him back to the bedroom and paw the bed. "We'll make it, we just have to wait for the right moment." Kyungsoo snuggled into Chanyeol's embrace under the blankets, his sobs gradually decreased as his body relaxed.

“Do you love me?” He asked as he looked up, there was a sad look in his big eyes.

The question took him completely by surprise, but Chanyeol nodded firmly.

"Yes, I love you."

"Even if I can never give you a child?" Kyungsoo questioned, looking hopefully at Chanyeol through tears.

“What do you mean by that?” He choked out, too confused to come up with a question or a better approach.

"I received the results of our exams." He explained looking away in another direction. "The doctor said you’re okay, that you can have a child with anyone but me." He concluded, his voice just a faint whisper.

Chanyeol opened and closed his mouth several times, not knowing what he could say after Kyungsoo's last words. When he opened his eyes and looked up, he realized he was crying too.

"I love you." He murmured as he firmly grasped his husband's hands. “The results of these tests will not change how we feel about each other. We can try to think of other ways to have a baby… I completely understand how you must be feeling right now, but I need you to know that we can still try and we can do it.” Chanyeol added quickly, kissing the hair that fell over Kyungsoo's forehead.

"I'm sorry."

“You should not apologize. Never.” Chanyeol said, and at that moment he was truly hurt that Kyungsoo was apologizing for something they wanted to achieve together.

"You promise you won't leave me because of this?" The younger asked hesitantly, as if the older had ever shown that what was between them wasn't true.

“Kyungsoo, I married you because I love you. All I want is your love, that's more than I need to stay with you.” He whispered before leaning in and kissing his husband again.

“I really, really love you.” Kyungsoo whispers for Chanyeol. “Thanks for everything, for staying with me.”

Love was the most important thing as long as they both felt the same thing, together they could find other ways to have a child and be happy.

*

Exactly three weeks later, Chanyeol was in the middle of recording a song he composed for the studio album of a boy group in his company when his cell phone rang loudly, startling the technicians he’s working with.

"I'm sorry." He whispered an apology, allowing a quick rest for the artists who for a second seemed to be relieved. He hurried out of the studio, running down the corridors of the empty practice rooms, up the stairs to the roof of the building.

The weather was relatively dry, but extremely cold, and Chanyeol shuddered outside and regretted not taking his coat before leaving the studio.

When he unlocked his phone, he realized that he had missed a call and a lot of messages from Sehun.

"Sehun?"

Kyungsoo's friends rarely called his number, however, Sehun had become a friend with whom Chanyeol could always talk comfortably at any time of day.

Everyone knew that at this time, he should not be disturb with calls except if urgent; however the messages made him nervous and anxious to know if something had happened.

"Great! You finally answered.” Sehun answered, there was a rather obvious mix between excitement and nervousness in his voice.

"What happened? Why did you call me?"

"You know, I called you because Kyungsoo and Baekhyun seem pretty busy at work and aren't answering any of my calls or answering my messages." He continued to chatter at a frightening speed.

“Alright ... Just explain to me what's going on? Do you need my help?” Chanyeol interrupted Sehun's ramblings, not bothering to be rude.

"My daughters. The twins have just been born and all our friends have decided to completely ignore my calls.” Sehun commented, sounding really sad that he had none of his friends with his family at that time.

“This is wonderful news. Congratulations.” Chanyeol muttered trying to sound happy for Sehun, even though he could never share that same feeling with his husband. Sehun then began to tell how strong Han had been throughout the birthing process, how both parents and grandparents were happy to finally meet the lovely newborns.

When he hung up, he walked to the edge of the building and for a few minutes contemplated the view of neighboring buildings and the movement of cars a few floors below with his mind completely blank.

He knew  _ this would  _ eventually happen, but he just hoped to have a little more time to get over the fact that he could never share that same moment and feelings with his husband.

Chanyeol could also imagine how Kyungsoo would feel when he found out; so he immediately returned to the studio and finally closed the recording session and sincerely apologized to the artists, but after claiming that he needed to go out to solve family problems everyone understood.

Only when the artists and their managers left did the other two producers he worked with - Yifan and Yixing - follow him to the elevator while rearranging their electronic calendars simultaneously.

"What really happened? You looked worried when you got back to the studio.” Yifan commented and Yixing agreed.

"Sehun, my friend and the twins father, called to say the babies are finally born." Chanyeol revealed, trying and failing miserably as he smiled. 

The two friends basically knew all of his life, the times Chanyeol gathered all their friends on weekends and Yifan, Yixing and Sehun had met a few months ago.

“Wow, they must be very happy. I still remember perfectly how I felt when I held my son for the first time.” Yifan said loudly, at the same moment he received a slight push from Yixing. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay..." Chanyeol muttered slowly. "I can't be sad forever."

"You know there are a lot of other ways to have a baby." Yixing said, casually placing a hand on Chanyeol's shoulder.

"Yeah, but we haven't talked about that yet." He revealed. "Kyungsoo is distant and sad, it's really painful to watch all this and not be able to do anything."

"You can just adopt."

“An adoption process takes months, I need a quick and easy solution.”

"This is a very complex matter; you should really talk to your husband and find a way to get what you want." Yixing said a second before the metal doors opened and three others got into the elevator.

Chanyeol said goodbye to his friends before walking to his car and dialing Kyungsoo's cell phone number, but got no answer. All other attempts proved unsuccessful, so he decided to drive to the company that his husband worked for so that they could visit Luhan and Sehun at the hospital later that day.

He parked his car two blocks away from the company's building, walking among workers rushed the sidewalk and stopped only when he saw Kyungsoo following Baekhyun quickly at the entrance of  _ Byun Corp. _

Chanyeol hurried over and caught up before they could get into the waiting car.

"Kyungsoo!" He shouted, making the smaller one stop and turn.

When Baekhyun spotted Chanyeol, he got into the car after saying something only his friend could hear.

“Chanyeol? What are you doing here?"

"Where is your cell phone?"

Kyungsoo frowned and tried to find the phone in his pockets, but didn't find it. “Maybe it's in the office. But what happened?"

"Sehun is trying to call you guys."

"Yimin and Yujie were born?" Kyungsoo asked, raising his eyebrows curiously, Chanyeol nodded and after weeks, a smile finally beamed from his heart-shaped lips. "Seriously?"

"Yes, he called me and practically demanded that we go to the hospital to meet his little girls." He explained, but Kyungsoo had already opened the car door and was informing Baekhyun what had happened.

Baekhyun eventually decided to cancel the meeting at his parents' house, allowing Kyungsoo to accompany Chanyeol to the hospital. Together they asked for information about the young couple of parents and were soon able to find the room assigned to Sehun, Han, Yumin and Yujie.

Baekhyun was the first to enter the room, standing next to Sehun - who was swinging one of the twins carefully in his arms - asking what the baby's name was and babbling her name over and over in a childlike voice.

Distracted, Chanyeol eventually collided with Kyungsoo who was standing in the doorway, the younger watching the couple proudly introducing their babies with an even sadder look than they had in the last few weeks.

“If you are not comfortable we can leave.” Chanyeol suggested through a whisper, Kyungsoo shook his head and then entered the room to greet the new parents.

Greeting the other two friends, Sehun finally approached Chanyeol with one of the babies still in his arms.

"Hi." He spoke in a soft voice. “Want to hold her? Her name is Yumin.” He asked as he shook the small bundle of blankets.

Chanyeol was about to respond when Baekhyun interrupted their moment.

"Sorry, but I'll hold her before him." He said confidently with his arms in the right position so Sehun could pass him Yumin. The baby seemed truly comfortable with the inexperienced touch of the young CEO, making little sounds with his tongue as she opened and closed his eyes as if tired.

Chanyeol eventually leaned towards Baekhyun to watch the baby, raising his hand involuntarily to play with the child's little fingers as the adult holding her abruptly pulled away. Baekhyun looked deeply into Chanyeol's eyes for a few seconds before shifting to Sehun, smiling affectionately.

As the three were farther apart, Sehun had been the only one who noticed the strange moment between them. How Baekhyun acted swiftly to prevent Chanyeol from touching or approaching, to look at each other, and pretend nothing had happened.

"You're good with children." Sehun commented with a very red face, because he held back his laughter.

"Yeah, I think I'm good with kids." Baekhyun muttered smiling, then excused himself to join Han and Kyungsoo.

"You must be very happy right now." Chanyeol said after being invited by Sehun to sit on the couch next to the door.

"Very happy." The young father answered with a huge smile. "I could see, however, that Kyungsoo looks distant, almost as if he is sad."

Sehun and Han were the only ones in the circle of friends who didn't know what was going on. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had talked and consequently chosen to keep it a secret, as they didn't want their friends to be sad just as they were fast approaching the birth of their twin daughters.

"It's just stress." Chanyeol said lying. "He's been saying that Han is missing the company a lot."

"That's not good." Sehun commented. "Stress can make pregnancy difficult."

"I'll talk to him about it." Chanyeol muttered, averting Sehun's inquisitive gaze.

"By the way, don't you think he's acting weird?"

"What? Who are you talking about?"

"Baekhyun." Sehun explained subtly pointing in the direction of Baekhyun, who was watching with a rapt look for Han to feed Yujie with a small bottle. 

"He's always weird." Chanyeol commented, preferring to observe Kyungsoo who was now playing with Yumin sleeping peacefully in Han's little crib beside his bed. 

"You two are always strange to each other." Sehun said and Chanyeol raised his eyebrows immediately, asking for an explanation. "What? Everyone has realized that. ”

The observation was indeed true, but there was no way Chanyeol could feel comfortable in the presence of the person he harbored 'hatred'. The empathy between the two always made him incredibly frustrated and over time he thought he had managed to disguise his feelings and thinking, but now he realized that he was wrong.

Sehun then yawned loudly rubbing his eyes and Chanyeol noticed that Han also looked tired. As he got up, he suggested that they should go out so that their friends could get some rest since their visiting hours were running out. They quickly said goodbye and promised to return with gifts for Yumin and Yujie.

As they walked through the parking lot toward the car, Kyungsoo stopped and when Chanyeol turned around, he was surprised to find his partner crying wretchedly.

"Kyungsoo..." Baekhyun was the first to approach, hugging Kyungsoo and trying to talk and keep the other from crying. "It's going to be okay, you'll be able to have your own baby."

“How can you be so sure?” The younger one asked, taking his hands from his face to look into his friend's eyes.

“I would do anything to help you achieve that. We can look for a clinic and start a treatment or...”

"Would you do anything for me?"

"Of course." Baekhyun responded by nodding. "I am your best friend, I would do everything in my power to make you happy."

“Even being my surrogate?” Kyungsoo asked with bright eyes, both expectant of the answer as well as the tears that were about to fall down his cheeks.

"What?" Chanyeol and Baekhyun asked simultaneously, looking at each other before turning to Kyungsoo.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

[B]

Baekhyun felt his body freeze at Kyungsoo's last absurd words, his hands falling slowly and unmoving beside his body.

His eyes followed the tall figure of their friend's husband approaching, placing both hands on Kyungsoo's shoulders and opening his mouth to say something Baekhyun could not understand, for at that moment his brain could not process the words or the situation correctly.

"What? Now you want him to give birth to our son?” Chanyeol shouted, shaking Kyungsoo almost violently. “Have you gone crazy? He's your best friend, you can't ask this kind of favor to your best friend.”

"Why not? He said that he would do everything he could to help me.”

"I'm sorry." Chanyeol said, passing Baekhyun as he guided Kyungsoo to his car parked a few feet away in one of the visitor spaces. “He is not thinking straight at the moment. Forget what he asked for.” The giant said with a slight flush on his cheeks, Baekhyun realized that this was Chanyeol’s reaction to his husband's request.

Baekhyun nodded quickly as he could still say nothing and watched the couple drive away. Only when the car reached the highway did he make his first move and start walking to his own car. Coming back to the company at that time would only result in a long, fruitless trip, since he couldn't think clearly since his friend's proposal.

As he drove, his brain began to create images of him carrying the couple's son.

At this time he was completely single; he was young and had already confirmed his fertility with accurate tests at his parents' request months ago; He could balance pregnancy and work perfectly.

However, those stakes are high and dangerous. After all, a male pregnancy is still classified as high risk. 

He could not allow his parents or company board to find out, or all his hard work over the past few years would be thrown in the trash; his reputation as a strong leader would disappear and be replaced by the fragile image of a soft-hearted man.

Baekhyun was in the middle of a war between his shrewd mind and his heart.

Kyungsoo deserved to be happy and have a child, but as he thought of the image of Chanyeol being  _ his  _ son's father, the heart in his chest began to beat madly.

"No." He muttered, stopping the car at the red light, shaking his head a few times to try to forget such thoughts.

This feeling of euphoria and hope could not be real, as Baekhyun would never do  _ that  _ to Kyungsoo. He would never allow himself to fall in love with his best friend's husband even if they needed to have their son together.

His brain - extremely creative - began to form a situation where Chanyeol was lying over his body on a soft bed, with silken sheets touching both fiery skins and devoid of any garments.

Baekhyun closed his eyes tightly, feeling guilty for remembering the first time he met Chanyeol, the absurd thoughts that flooded his mind. He remembered how he wanted him, remembered how he envied Kyungsoo for capturing Chanyeol's attention that night, remembered how he tried to ignore his feelings and the way his body warmed involuntarily whenever they approached. Fortunately, Baekhyun had been able to control and keep all these facts in his mind only.

*

When he finally came home, away from any human who could judge his morals, he sank slowly into the big bed, staring at his hands on his flat stomach, allowing himself to imagine harboring a small baby.

If Chanyeol accepted Kyungsoo's proposal, Baekhyun would definitely accept and agree to all terms  _ only  _ for experience.

Obviously he would have to get a little further from his parents and work in the last months of pregnancy, he was aware that refusing would take years to experience the same feeling.

Some hours later, as he warmed dinner - prepared by the housekeeper who cleaned and organized the apartment - he heard the cell phone ring somewhere in the room. Baekhyun dropped the plate on the kitchen counter and ran into the living room, surprised when he read Kyungsoo's name on the caller ID.

"Baek?"

"Hi."

"I was worried that maybe you wouldn't answer my call." Kyungsoo confessed sadly.

“I wouldn't ignore you forever, after all, we worked together. But I thought you wouldn't call me anytime soon.” He said honestly as he sat on the couch.

"I needed to apologize for what I said earlier." His friend muttered, and initially he was completely disappointed.

"Will you give up on having a child?" He asked after a few seconds and his answer came after the sound of a door being locked.

"No." Kyungsoo revealed, muttering under his breath. "I need you."

"Kyungsoo ... Do you really want this from me?"

"I thought you were rooting for me." The other said, sounding surprised. “I can only feel entirely happy when I have a child, so I need your help.”

"I-..."

"I already thought of everything."

"What do you mean?"

"We can talk about this another time, more calmly."

“Fine, I agree about that. But, what does Chan -... your husband think about all this?”

“Chanyeol still can't believe me. But, I know I can convince him eventually.” Kyungsoo revealed slowly.

"And how do  _ you  _ feel about all this?"

“I trust you both. In addition, we will treat this as a business.” Kyungsoo suggested and Baekhyun gaped; he was aware that he would gain experience, and his friend would have a baby, it didn't seem like a fair deal.

Baekhyun was about to express his thoughts when a third voice interrupted his thinking, as Chanyeol began to question Kyungsoo about what to order for dinner and the next second the call ended.

He stared at the phone for a few seconds, with a sigh and a series of exaggerated insults, got up and went back to the kitchen, where he started his own dinner.

*

While watching a music program on television, his cell phone rang again, notifying a new message. Baekhyun unlocked it and found a familiar address, just below it was four words.

_ we need to talk _

Baekhyun seems familiar with the address, and with a quick-search, he learned that it was the organic restaurant near his company building, where he used to take his friends and meet his parents on work days.

Immediately, Baekhyun got out of bed and ran to the bathroom to clean his face and fix his messy hair, wearing clean clothes decent enough to leave the house.

The day was extremely cold and he had made no plans to leave the comfort of his home, but even so, he put on his padded jacket and drove through the small parking lot, recognizing Kyungsoo's car stopped two spaces before his own.

When he stopped at the entrance of the restaurant, he was hit hard by the heat provided by the restaurant's powerful heaters. Baekhyun handed his coat to the receptionist, smiling when he was recognized and thanking him when he was told which table Kyungsoo was waiting for.

At the back of the great hall, near the large tempered glass windows and the small yellow lights, he saw Kyungsoo, Baekhyun was about to move forward when he saw Chanyeol approach the table and sat down, saying something to his companion who was visibly tense.

He was considering leaving the restaurant and returning to his apartment, when his best friend's husband looked up and recognized him immediately, it took Chanyeol only two seconds to inform Kyungsoo of Baekhyun's presence.

The younger turned and waved, trying to show a small smile of encouragement.

Baekhyun returned the smile and forced himself to move toward the couple, slowly sliding into the only available chair across the table. Kyungsoo leaned over, putting his arms across the table to greet him with a strange handshake, and Chanyeol sighed bored, unable to cope with the tension flowing between them.

"I thought 'we' would talk." Baekhyun said signaling between him and his friend.

"It would just be us, but Chanyeol decided to join me at the last minute." Kyungsoo muttered as he poured some water for the three of them. "He said he also wants to discuss how we intend to do that."

Baekhyun could feel his face heat up quickly at the meaning of Kyungsoo's words, Chanyeol on the other hand looked almost bored.

"Okay." He whispered, startled when a waiter spoke beside him and spread the menu on the table. The trio remained silent, focused on the variety of international dishes on the menu. After placing their orders, he cleared his throat and decided to ask, “How will this work exactly? You said you had thought of everything. What does that mean?" 

Kyungsoo nodded, sharing a quick look with Chanyeol.

"Before that, we need to make sure that you accept my proposal."

"Yes. As I said before, I will do everything in my power to realize your dream.” Baekhyun answered with conviction.

"This is absurd." Chanyeol commented loud enough for the other two to hear and acknowledge his opinion on the matter.

"I'm sorry," Kyungsoo said, sounding frustrated, running his hands through his short hair. "He just doesn't want to believe this will work."

"So only one of you two wants this?"

"No, we both believe you were perfect to conceive our baby." Kyungsoo confessed and that left Baekhyun really relieved.

"I can't understand how I'm going to make a child with you." Chanyeol revealed and Baekhyun exhaled offended by the way the other had spoken.

"What?!" He shouted irritably, attracting the attention of others near their table. “I don't want to have a child with you either, I'm wonderfully far away from you. But, it's not me and you who want a child.” Baekhyun lied, thinking it had been convincing given the expressions on the couple's faces.

"I told you we shouldn't trust him." Chanyeol said to Kyungsoo, who shook his head in surprise at the direction the conversation had been directed. "Nothing's going to happen between the two of us."

"Can you stop arguing?" The younger one interrupted, silencing the other two who had started throwing splinters. "We're not here for that."

"So what exactly am I doing here?" Baekhyun asked.

“I am willing to do whatever it takes. I will always be by your side in the face of any difficulty.”

“How will I get pregnant? Because I don't want to have sex with your husband.”

“We were saving money, we can use it for your insemination.”

"Kyungsoo!" Chanyeol interrupted him in disagreement. “This is the money we will use to buy a bigger apartment.”

"The apartment is part of the family plans, we need a child more than an apartment." Kyungsoo retaliated quickly. “We are just reversing the order of events.”

Baekhyun remained silent, just watching them exchange fleeting glances in a kind of silent couple discussion. But after a while Chanyeol eventually gave up trying to put some reason into his husband's mind, so a tired sigh escaped his lips before uttering: “All right. If that's what you want, go ahead and ask your friend to conceive a child with my sperm. Life from your point of view is incredibly happy and complete with a child.”

Kyungsoo smiled smugly, completely unaware of the sarcasm and anger in the look Chanyeol was giving Baekhyun at that moment.

"What if my parents find out?" Baekhyun questioned, looking away with a little fear. “What will happen to me and the baby? If they find out, we’ll be in big trouble.”

"Let's hope they never find out." Kyungsoo said hopefully. "I'm going to make excuses, so you don't have to meet them in person."

"If you can handle all this, we can look for a doctor and a lawyer who specializes in this matter." He said, extending his hands, joining them with his friend's and smiling.

After lunch and arranging an upcoming meeting to arrange the contract, they finished their meals comfortably by talking about work. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were the first to leave the restaurant, talking about hiring a new intern who can stay in the office to answer calls when he was absent during pregnancy.

However, they stopped at the entrance to the restaurant when they were hit by the freezing cold after rain. Large puddles of frozen water littered the pavement. When Chanyeol reached them, Baekhyun said goodbye and turned to leave while he was putting on his jacket.

Baekhyun eventually accidentally stepped into a pool of frozen water and reached out to cushion the fall, however, before falling to the ground he felt his face collide against a warm, muscular chest, and finally opening his eyes, Baekhyun looked up and found Chanyeol's face.

The larger man had a strong grip on his hips, both faces were very close and contained a reddish tinge to his cheeks and nose that was not caused by the cold. "Be careful." Chanyeol muttered under his breath causing a small shudder in Baekhyun, who immediately backed away. "There’s ice everywhere, you should pay more attention to where you are stepping."

"Okay." He answered fearfully, as if he'd just been scolded by one of his parents for a childish mistake.

"So..." Kyungsoo said, arousing the attention of the two men still held by the look, he practically clung to her husband's arm and smiled innocently. “Hope to see you at work. I hope you rest, we'll have a lot of work at the company tomorrow.”

"Of course, I am aware." Baekhyun replied. "Have a nice day." He added at the last moment, turning and walking attentively to his car.

*

Five days later a yellow envelope was deposited on his desk, Baekhyun looked up and found Kyungsoo sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk in the company office.

“This is the contract our lawyer has arranged. You can read and talk to me when you review the contract.” 

"Great, I'll read it when I get home," he replied, placing the envelope along with a stack of other papers he would take home later.

“I need to go home early, our parents are in town and have decided to have a last minute dinner.”

"Did you finish your tasks?"

"Of course." Kyungsoo answered immediately and Baekhyun smiled as he watched his friend and assistant rush out of the room.

He redirected his gaze to the envelope again, he was trying to contain his curiosity about the contract clauses, he would not be able to wait until he got home.

Baekhyun took the envelope and broke the seal, removing the sheets and starting to read the simple words.

_ \- The parents ask the surrogate for his health for the healthy development of the baby - under the care and supply of supplements and vitamins for the surrogate; _

_ \- Everyone involved in the process - from the doctor, surrogate and parents - must maintain confidentiality for the perfect functioning of the contract; _

_ \- The surrogate together with the parents will have a monthly check-up with the chosen doctor;  _

_ \- The parents will be responsible for the any cots that pertains to the pregnancy and will offer constant support to the surrogate; _

_ \- The surrogate will give up any rights to the child after birth;  _

_ \- The surrogate should maintain  _ **_only_ ** _ friendship ties with the parents, Do Kyungsoo and Park Chanyeol; _

When Baekhyun finished, he noted that the contract was the conversation he had with the couple in the restaurant days before. Except for the last demand that left him slightly open-mouthed, for what the couple should be imagining of him by pointing out that their relationship should be one of friendship only.

In his mind he had wanted things that would make him regret to death, but he would never try to ruin years of a lovely relationship like Kyungsoo's and Chanyeol's. Baekhyun was really offended, but decided to ignore it and scribbled his name on the dotted line next to the couple's names. 

Satisfied and mysteriously anxious, he put the contract envelope in the first drawer of his desk before turning off the lights and leaving the office.

*

The chosen doctor had recommended that the two involved undergo further examinations before the procedure, Baekhyun had chosen to make appointments on different days so that no need to find Chanyeol at the insemination clinic. 

"That's weird." Baekhyun hummed softly.

He was sitting in what looked like a dentist's chair, but his legs were open and supported by stirrups. He was uncomfortable being in this position and especially being naked from the waist down despite the sheet the doctor had put on.

"It may be a really uncomfortable position, but according to experts it's a quick and guaranteed process that justifies your current position."

“Are you going to put this inside me? And then what happens? ”Baekhyun asked, watching the doctor adjust his surgical gloves and then reveal a small container that contained a clear liquid on the table next to it.

He grimaced as the older man filled the gun with the sticky substance, sounding like some kind of lubricant. And Baekhyun felt his heart race as he realized that Chanyeol's semen was about to be inserted inside him.

“I will start the process by injecting semen. Then we'll check in a week to see if the sperm has reached your ovum.” He informs by moving the stool to sit in front of his open legs.

Baekhyun was embarrassed, but he could feel his cheeks and ears warmer than usual. His heart was beating even faster, his fingers were beating in pure nervousness.

“Is there a possibility my eggs won't accept it?” He tries to keep his breathing steady even though the doctor is gently bending the sheet to his knees. He could feel the cold air as he was exposed, goosebumps flooding his skin to his complete embarrassment.

"There is always this possibility."

“But is there a good chance this will work out?” Baekhyun asks, determined to be distracted by the conversation.

"Yes."

Baekhyun closes his eyes and tilts his head back, trying to clear his mind.

"Just do it, I can't change my mind now."

"Take a deep breath..." The doctor instructed in a soft voice. He could feel the intrusion and the subsequent release of liquid inside him. It was definitely weird and hard to believe what it had just done. "One, two, three... It's in, we just have to wait now." The doctor says carefully taking the gun out and quickly covering it with the sheet again.

"It feels different, wet and cold." Baekhyun confessed, wrinkling his nose, resisting the urge to stoop and touch where he was uncomfortable.

“Did you wish it were more romantic? Should I have lit a scented candle?” The doctor smiles, turning the stool to open a drawer and extending a small plastic wrap.

Baekhyun tries not to moan in embarrassment when the doctor hands him a yellow tampon.

"There is a possibility that there is a baby inside me."

"Yes. You're a very generous person to do this for your friends.” The doctor says as he discards his gloves, mask and touches. "I'll leave you alone now, stay in position for a ten minutes."

Alone in the room with his feet raised he looks at the light on the ceiling, wonders how it will change his life and how it will affect how he sees things. 


	3. Chapter 3

**[B]**

Baekhyun took a deep breath before his hand reached the bell in the door and the sound sounded high inside the small apartment and waited, for it was after two in the morning.

His nervousness was more and more present, because his breathing was fast and his hands were sweating in the cold and empty corridor. He tried to hide his hands inside the sweatshirt while waiting, accidentally touching the pregnancy test box.

Doubt had made him wake up in the middle of the night and put on a coat, drive to the nearest pharmacy from his building and buy the test. The doctor had said that they should wait at least two weeks to get a reliable result, and Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were looking forward to the deadline finally ending.

He was about to touch the doorbell again when the door was opened. Kyungsoo was dressed in pajamas that were too big and should have belonged to Chanyeol, as the shirt was twisted and one shoulder was showing and the fabric reached half of his thighs.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, rubbing his right eye to try to get used to the light from the door.

"It's been two weeks now." he explained as he took the box out of his sweatshirt pocket. "I bought a pregnancy test."

"Okay, but couldn't you wait a few more hours until dawn?"

"No, I wouldn't be able to wait until tomorrow." He replied as he entered the apartment, abandoned his shoes and followed his friend into the small room. "I'm looking forward to finding out the result." he added, noting that there was a blanket spread over the sofa, wine glasses and an open bottle on the coffee table.

Kyungsoo simply smiled when Baekhyun jumped excitedly on his couch, recognizing that if he was not tired from the exhausting activities of earlier with his husband he would also not be able to sleep in anxiety.

"May I use your bathroom?"

"Sure." Kyungsoo replied, indicating the way to the bathroom at the end of the hall. Baekhyun entered the messy room, broke the test seal and read the instructions carefully while performing the procedures. He deposited the test on the sink counter and sat on the edge of the tub, waiting impatiently for three minutes on his cell phone watch.

At two minutes and thirty seconds, he was startled by a violent knock on the door and ended up dropping the test on the floor while the door was opened. Baekhyun looked at the result before looking up and finding Chanyeol. He ended up vomiting on his bare feet after getting the positive result on the test.

"Holy shit!" Chanyeol snapped and in the next second Kyungsoo appeared, kneeling down to help Baekhyun get away from the mess and clean up at the sink. "What just happened?"

"You scared me." He murmured trying not to look at the other man's face. "And I'm nervous."

Kyungsoo, who was too busy retrieving the pregnancy test on the bathroom floor, shouted excitedly before standing up and hugging Chanyeol. "We're going to have a baby!" He yelled, pulling his husband to reach his lips in a quick kiss. "Thank you!" He added, turning around with tears in his eyes as he crushed his friend in a hug.

Baekhyun returned the hug, resting his head comfortably on his shoulder while finally looking up at Chanyeol, who was even paler than usual, just a short step away from absorbing his newest status as a father.

When both eyes met, Baekhyun tried to smile, but Chanyeol winced before disappearing and locking himself in another room. Kyungsoo walked away and took him into the living room again, placing Baekhyun on a chair and offering him some hot water with lemon.

  
  


[C]

The result had confused his conscience and Chanyeol was unable to focus a minute on each thought. When he stepped away from the bathroom and sought refuge from events in his room, he closed the door and slid to the floor in the dark room.

He and his husband had been startled when the doorbell rang around the apartment, waking them both up and forcing them to wear clothes to finally answer the door. However, the sensation of fright upon finding Byun Baekhyun at his door was not comparable to the numbing sensation when he realized that he was officially carrying his son.

While reflecting, he could clearly hear Kyungsoo and Baekhyun's conversation in the kitchen where they should probably be drinking some tea. Kyungsoo had previously entered a state of paralysis while waiting for answers from his surrogate locked in the bathroom, Chanyeol was anxious and nervous to watch his husband's wish come true before his eyes, but he was also afraid.

To tell the truth, Chanyeol never knew how to react to Baekhyun in the past and certainly would not know how to react to a pregnant Baekhyun with his son in the future.

When he returned to focus on the conversation between his friends, he heard Baekhyun confess his nervousness and how it made him feel sick and soon afterwards admitted that he was unable to eat anything all night.

Kyungsoo scolded him gently as he started to prepare a meal with the leftovers from the earlier dinner; Chanyeol was not thinking coherently when he got up and left the room, walking automatically to the kitchen and stopping in front of the two smaller men.

"I hope this is the last time you do this."

"What do you... mean exactly?" Baekhyun asked, trying to hide behind Kyungsoo's small stature, he still had that strange messy appearance and there was a strong flush on his cheeks.

"You shouldn't forget your meals." He explained, keeping focused on the smaller one, but there was a slight touch of care in his voice, Chanyeol felt like he was really scolding his own husband. Except that Kyungsoo did not forget his own meals and was definitely not pregnant. "You are pregnant."

"I know." Baekhyun murmured, lowering his head. "I will be extremely careful during the pregnancy."

"Hope so."

_ "We hope."  _ Kyungsoo pointed out, turning towards Chanyeol to scold him with a simple look. He could feel the young CEO's watchful eye on his interaction with his husband. "Baekhyun said he would follow all the care given by the doctor after the first consultation." He added, reheating the sauce to place it on a plate of pasta resting on the counter.

Deciding to just watch the two, Chanyeol simply sat on one of the chairs at the table. When Kyungsoo finished cooking, it took Baekhyun less than half an hour to devour all the food; unconscious of the couple watching him with an amused smile playing on both lips.

In the end, Baekhyun thanked his friend for the food when an extremely loud yawn escaped, demonstrating that he had finally drained all of his small body's energy.

"I'm exhausted." He confessed softly, rubbing one eye slowly.

“You need to go back to your apartment, sleep through the night because you will need to wake up early. You have a meeting early in the morning. "Kyungsoo stressed methodically wiping the counter and putting the dishes in the sink.

"Can you accompany me down there?" Baekhyun asked hopefully.

"Chanyeol can accompany you, I am very tired." Said Kyungsoo, looking at Chanyeol with a truly exhausted look. He instantly got up and walked to the door, waiting for Baekhyun to follow him.

Leaving the apartment, he headed for the elevator and a few seconds later when the metal doors opened and Baekhyun reached him, Chanyeol held the doors open and waited for him to enter first.

Both remained in complete silence as they walked down the few floors of the building. Chanyeol was aware that Baekhyun was a little thing that never shut up but when they were alone, he never said anything and that was why Chanyeol was scared when he spoke.

“You could have said no, you didn't have to accompany me down there. "

"I can accompany you if you want."

"Okay." Baekhyun replied looking away from Chanyeol. "It looked like you weren't expecting a positive result." He commented as he whispered as if he was expecting a negative answer.

"Of course, I hoped it was positive, we are investing a lot in this insemination process." Chanyeol replied after a few seconds thinking about what words to use.

"Sure."

"Realizing that this is really happening is just a little difficult."

"Why is it happening to me?"

"No." Chanyeol turned to face Baekhyun. “I would be freaking out regardless if it was you or him. I wasn't considering having children now, but after Kyungsoo met the twins, everything changed. ”

Baekhyun was about to say something when the elevator doors opened in the lobby of the building, but there was a small smile on his lips when he thanked and said goodbye to Chanyeol.

*

A few days later, Chanyeol was lying on the sofa watching the rain through the windows of his apartment, everything was cold, dark, messy and silent.

He was tired from the beginning of the day, when he had to leave the house early to fix a mistake he made in organizing files that would be distributed to the artists he would be working with that week. Yifan and Yixing were not exactly happy when they were also forced to go to work earlier, and the two had left hours before the office was over.

Chanyeol could not complain about being left alone, after all it was his own fault for being distracted and often irritated by what was happening in his personal life.

When he heard the security code being inserted in the door, he quickly got up to welcome his husband who was coming home even later in the evening. To his complete disappointment, Kyungsoo was once again accompanied by Baekhyun, who was enthusiastically telling a story while his friend listened to everything with attention and silence.

In the past few days, it had been common to return to an empty house, Chanyeol spent hours alone before Kyungsoo decided to show up with his friend. Sharing his nights and his intimacy with Baekhyun was starting to become uncomfortable for Chanyeol, who had never really approached Kyungsoo's friend.

Upon turning on the lights and entering the room, Kyungsoo just smiled at Chanyeol before guiding Baekhyun to the couple's room. 

Chanyeol had tried to contact Kyungsoo several times throughout the day. However, his calls were immediately redirected and his messages ignored and only a smile had been directed at him after the fourteen hours of work that separated them.

While thinking about how much he was bothered by Kyungsoo's coldness, Chanyeol was startled when he heard someone trying very hard to force a glass jar on the counter. As he turned towards the kitchen, he found Baekhyun eating pickles and nutella directly from the pot and the mixture was absolutely intriguing, but he seemed to be enjoying every bit of it.

Baekhyun eventually realized he was being watched, and he shrugged his shoulders as if embarrassed and fled the kitchen.

"Have you eaten yet?" Kyungsoo asked, sitting next to Chanyeol on the couch, changing the channel from the drama to the news. He looked very tired with dark circles, oily skin and wrinkled clothes. “If you want, I can help you prepare something quickly. Baekhyun ended up convincing me to have dinner on the way home.” He revealed absently.

"Soo!" They both got up in alarm when Baekhyun left the room and ran to the bathroom, throwing up everything he had eaten that night on the toilet. Kyungsoo immediately stepped forward and followed him, closing the bathroom door for his privacy.

Apparently, pickles and nutella had not been a good and healthy combination.

Putting some water in a glass, Chanyeol walked to the bathroom door and hesitated with his fist hovering over the door when Kyungsoo opened it. "Is he okay?" He asked, offering the water, peering over her husband's shoulders at a pale Baekhyun sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

"It's okay, I'm fine." He replied, reaching for the glass of water. It was getting cold, but Baekhyun was feverish when Chanyeol played.

"We can take you to the hospital."

"No." He declined immediately. “It is just one of the symptoms of pregnancy, it is normal to suffer from nausea at first.” He revealed after drinking all the water, returning the glass.

Chanyeol had not realized that he was alone with Baekhyun, until his husband returned to the bathroom with a clean shirt that his friend could change into.

Soon after, the two left the small room and returned to the kitchen where Kyungsoo turned on the electric kettle to make tea. “This is the second time this has happened, he got sick during a meeting at the company a few days ago and Mr. Kim was concerned and ended up asking a series of questions. We were talking about making an appointment with the doctor, the nausea must be uncomfortable.” He said wistfully, busy with the preparation of tea.

Chanyeol was not exactly paying attention to what Kyungsoo was saying, he was thinking about other things, like the fact that he felt worried about Baekhyun's health condition once again. It should just be because  _ his son  _ was causing all of that, seeing the difficulty Baekhyun was struggling with and not providing help seemed wrong for Chanyeol.

Realizing the direction his thoughts had taken, he ended up speaking louder than he intended:  _ "Great." _

"Did you say anything ?"

"You guys have been spending a lot more time together." Chanyeol commented sarcastically.

"We are always together, it is exciting to be close and witness everything that is happening." He replied, smiling. "Are you actually jealous?" Kyungsoo questioned seconds later and Chanyeol's silence was enough of an answer.

“Why are you always together? Why is he always here in our house?"

“Baekhyun is my best friend. I promised that I would help when he needed me.” he said. "Baekhyun is doing so much for  _ both  _ of  _ us,  _ how can you be so selfish about not realizing it?"

Chanyeol did not know how to respond at the time, did not know how to explain what he was beginning to feel with the distance that had settled in his marriage and the mixed feelings about Baekhyun.

Both were stressed and tired to discuss the relationship and unspoken thoughts. Chanyeol mentally thanked him when Baekhyun appeared in the hall and walked to the kitchen; a second later when Chanyeol did not see the expression on his face, he realized that Baekhyun had overheard the entire conversation.

"I have to go." He said after refusing hot tea, walking to the door Baekhyun quickly collected his coat and shoes before leaving the apartment. Kyungsoo remained frozen in the middle of the kitchen, sending looks to Chanyeol as if he was waiting for him to apologize and resolve the situation.

However, he simply ignored it and went into the bedroom in silence.

*

Chanyeol was late.

And he didn't blame his husband for not sending a message warning him about his punctuality. Kyungsoo was still angry about what happened three days earlier in the apartment and was talking only about the essentials when he was alone with Chanyeol.

That morning, Kyungsoo revealed that he had made his first appointment with the obstetrician and if Chanyeol was curious to know more about their son, he would be at the clinic at exactly 1:00 in the afternoon.

He had rescheduled his appointments for that afternoon, but ended up being distracted by his friends and had been stuck in traffic. When he finally managed to find a place, he abandoned the car and ran to the clinic building. As he passed through the glass doors, he entered a large reception area decorated in neutral colors and comfortable chairs lined up.

At one end of the reception, Baekhyun was huddled against one of the chairs concentrating on what he was doing on his cell phone, but there was no sign of Kyungsoo.

Walking slowly towards the smaller one, he settled himself two chairs apart. Up close, Chanyeol could see that Baekhyun was just exchanging messages.

"I'm really nervous." Chanyeol confessed and Baekhyun jumped in fright, dropping the phone on the floor.

"Idiot!" He murmured irritably, placing his hand on his heart. "I should not be scared."

"I'm sorry." Chanyeol said sorry as he picked up his cell phone from the floor. "Where's Kyungsoo?"

“Unfortunately, he had to go back to the company. I was talking to him before you tried to scare me to death. Maybe he won't be back in time for  _ our  _ appointment.” Baekhyun revealed and Chanyeol nodded, trying not to think too hard about what that implied.

And he still owed him an apology.

"Then it will be just me, you and the baby."

"And Bae Joo hyun, obviously." Baekhyun said, typing something on the cell phone before putting it in his coat pocket.

"Wasn't he a male doctor?"

"Yes, but he had to leave for his hometown earlier and recommended his co-worker to us." He said.

"Okay." It was clear that they were both uncomfortable being alone, Chanyeol was about to get up to drink some water when the receptionist said that Baekhyun could go into the doctor's office.

The two exchanged quick looks before following the receptionist who was waiting for them.

Baekhyun was immediately redirected to a changing room, where he could exchange his three-piece suit for a hospital gown. Chanyeol stood in front of the locker room door for a few minutes, simply waiting.

When Baekhyun appeared again, he was dressed in a tunic and was clearly uncomfortable, when looking up and meeting Chanyeol, a blush quickly spread across his pale cheeks.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he turned around.

"I don't know, where else should I be?" He was confused and also embarrassed.

"With the doctor?" Baekhyun suggested pointing to a door which contained a sign with the doctor's name on it. The next minute, the receptionist found them and redirected him correctly. Chanyeol was supposed to wait in the room while Baekhyun would be taken to do some quick exams before the ultrasonography. 

A few moments later, a smiling young doctor entered the room.

"Mr. Park," she said. "I'm Bae Joohyun, the doctor who will replace Mr. Kim at today's appointment."

"Hello."

"Mr. Byun is already waiting for us." She said walking to a side door. Chanyeol followed her and entered the room where Baekhyun was already lying on a bed surrounded by machines. "Let's start. You can sit next to him.”

The doctor instructed her assistant and Chanyeol watched her open Baekhyun's tunic, revealing his incredibly flat stomach to put on a transparent and apparently cold gel. Soon after, the doctor approached, turning on a device before sliding it over his stomach, looking for something carefully.

"Here it is!" She said with a smile, Chanyeol and Baekhyun who were looking at the monitor couldn't see anything. "You shouldn't be seeing anything, but that little 10 mm dot is your baby." She explained while using a digital ruler to indicate where the baby should be.

"This is my baby..." Chanyeol murmured, leaning over to get a closer look, stopping when Baekhyun pushed him back in the chair. "Excuse me."

"It's okay." Baekhyun whispered, turning his attention back to the monitor. "Can we hear the heartbeat?" The doctor nodded, pressing a few buttons before the rapid heartbeat was heard by both. "Amazing."

“You are between the seventh and eighth weeks. The arms and legs are growing, organs are setting up and forming, a baby's heart is beating very fast. About 150 beats per minute, which is perfectly healthy. The first movements start, but they can't be felt yet.” She explains. “This is a phase of great sensitivity for the baby, as he or she is very vulnerable. Be very careful and do not take any risks that could compromise the embryo. ”

"Okay, we'll be very careful." Baekhyun replied softly with a concerned look, while Chanyeol remained staring at the monitor where his baby was.

“During this period, the pregnant man usually feels nauseous. Is that your case Mr. Byun?”

Baekhyun replied, shaking his head. “It's getting worse as the days go by. I feel extremely tired and hungry all the time." The doctor explained the reason for the nausea and recommended that he eat crackers in the morning when he wakes up, sit for ten minutes and then immediately follow with the day normally. Baekhyun seems to record everything in his mind and thanks the doctor, saying that he will follow all the tips offered. "Can we keep a copy of the ultrasonography"?

"Sure! First-time parents often order multiple copies at the first exam. My assistant will make a copy for you while I go to prescribe some vitamin supplements that you should take during pregnancy.” The doctor said leaving the room, leaving the two alone.

"This is so amazing." Chanyeol says with a huge smile looking at the stomach where his baby is growing and Baekhyun silently agrees, slightly embarrassed and happy to know that the baby is growing up healthy.

The bigger one was about to put his hand over his, which rested on his nonexistent belly when the doctor's assistant returned to the room and the two looked at each other and simply pretended that it had never happened.

*

With the copy of the exam, they quickly left the clinic and were walking among the workers who were returning home waiting for Kyungsoo, until Baekhyun admitted to being hungry and tired and Chanyeol offered to take him to the small, homely restaurant he knew.

Baekhyun grunted under his breath, but accepted the suggestion and forced himself to walk a few more blocks. Chanyeol was walking ahead, showing the way until he stopped in front of the small, lighted building. He went in and guided his company down the narrow stairs to find a more reserved table on the second floor, where they could talk comfortably when their husband came to meet them.

The second floor was practically empty, there was only one couple sitting in a less lit area and enjoying the romantic atmosphere to share their meals with passionate looks. Baekhyun sat down and immediately grimaced at the view and environment around him, Chanyeol laughed as he blew out the candle in the center of his table.

"This place doesn't seem to be that impressive." Baekhyun commented, once he looked up from the small plastic menu.

"The food is fantastic, try to ignore the couple in love and everything will be fine." Chanyeol said, discarding his menu, as he knew exactly what he was going to order.

After deciding what to order, Baekhyun discarded the menu and all his attention was turned to the cell phone and the same game he was playing earlier. The silence was only interrupted when a young man approached their table, smiling brightly when meeting Chanyeol in his restaurant once again.

"Chanyeol!" He almost shouted, startling them both with the small burst of animation. "You took too long, but you finally came back!"

The owner of the small restaurant was the father of one of his friends. Chanyeol had visited the place numerous times alongside Kyungsoo, when he decided to treat his husband with good food and a romantic atmosphere.

"Hello." Chanyeol greeted Jooho with a friendly handshake, and then the restaurant owner's gaze went to Baekhyun.

"And is this young man ...?"

"Is a friend." Chanyeol replied, ignoring Baekhyun on purpose because they were not friends.

"Ohhh ..." Jooho murmured, raising his eyebrows. "Did you choose what to order?" Baekhyun perked up with the mention of food and immediately stepped forward and ordered just about everything on the menu, even though he said he was not impressed with the restaurant. When they were alone again, they both ignored and distracted themselves on their own cell phones.

Half an hour later, Kyungsoo finally came.

He walked over to their table with a huge smile and sat down, looking hopefully at them.

"How was it? I want to know everything that happened at the consultation.” He asked excitedly.

"First, I apologize that you need to return to the company." Baekhyun said, leaning over the table and sliding the copy of the exam. Kyungsoo opened his eyes wide and tears flooded his eyes as he tried to find the baby, Chanyeol smiled and gently revealed the baby's location, length and weight according to the doctor.

"I'm so happy!" He stammered, turning and hugging and kissing his husband, crying in his chest before turning to Baekhyun and flooding him with an even bigger hug. “Thank you Baek ! O _ ur  _ little baby is growing inside you. "Kyungsoo murmured, placing his hand gently on Baekhyun’s stomach, who blushed again.

  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

A few weeks later...

Baekhyun sighed deeply, ruffling his hair and crossing the room once again. Until that moment, all attempts to calm down had proven unsuccessful. He could already feel the exhaustion caused by pregnancy taking over his body when there were still more hours to work. He felt sleepy and hungry more frequently than he was willing to admit. These feelings only hit him during the most important hours of the day. His assistant had lost count of how many times he found him sleeping on the documents he needed to review during office hours.

That day, he was absentmindedly watching the street activity through his office window when Kyungsoo entered his office without first knocking on the door, and in his hands was a square tray with a teapot and a jar of cookies.

"I don't want tea." Baekhyun said using a serious tone of voice, but ended up walking and sitting on the sofa in front of the small table where the hot tea had been deposited.

"You need to stay calm." Kyungsoo murmured in an incredibly soft voice, pouring the scented tea into an overly large cup.

"I need positive results, not a cup of tea." Baekhyun retaliated, raising the cup with a shaking hand, breathing the steam from the tea that was slowly flooding the entire air. "My parents keep calling, pressing me for answers."

“The marketing department made a mistake when it confused the dates of the new release, but everyone is struggling to fix the collective mistake. In a few hours, the products will be sent to the distributors.”

Baekhyun was aware of everything that was happening on the floors below his office, waiting was not exactly his favorite activity. Kyungsoo listened to everything in silence and when he raised a cup of tea, Baekhyun relented and accepted.

Upon arriving at the company that morning, he had discovered a planning error in the production of a new autumn collection. His parents were not exactly satisfied with the news and the guilt that fell solely on his shoulders because according to them, the entire operation of the company was the responsibility of the CEO.

During the last meeting, his father decided to appear and witness the chaos unfolding. His father sat down at the table and in front of all the department heads. He humiliated his son. That had been enough for Baekhyun to end the meeting and run back to his office. No one had questioned his red and swollen face when Baekhyun left the meeting and the company.

The first trimester of pregnancy and the period of risk was ending, and in order not to stress and harm the baby, he tried not to talk or answer his parents' calls.

It was possible to notice the small bump in his stomach, where the baby was growing fast and in a healthy way. The doctor who accompanied them had informed at the last meeting that the baby's limbs were forming, so Baekhyun should be extremely careful and avoid stress. Throughout the examination the baby did not stop moving in the womb and it became impossible to define the sex, and at any time in the following weeks he could feel the baby's first kick.

Three knocks on the door woke Baekhyun out of his thoughts. He looked up at the door and found his cousin entering the office with a smile and a file folder in his hands.

“Your secretary said you were free.” Jongin murmured as he approached and sat in the armchair in front of Baekhyun's sofa, curiously probing the tray with cookies. He held out the files his cousin had requested earlier, helping himself to tea and biscuits.

"Okay. Have you finished examining everything?” Baekhyun questioned, handing the folder to Kyungsoo who started leafing through it before collecting a pen from his suit pocket and getting up to leave the two other men alone.

"Yes, I just need your signature." Jongin said. "Are you okay?" He questioned curiously while Baekhyun signed the pages.

"Why the question? I am fine." Baekhyun replied, focused.

"So why are you willingly drinking tea?"

"The doctor said that the first three months are risky for the baby, and to try to calm myself down, I am drinking tea."

"Baby?" Jongin asked and Baekhyun froze immediately, finally realizing his big slip.

"What? I meant -...” He stammered, panicking.

"What do you mean 'it's risky for the baby'?" Jongin asked, raising his voice. "Are you by any chance pregnant?" He ended up screaming, eyes wide and jaw dropping.

Baekhyun didn't know how to answer for a few seconds, Jongin was strangely pale and frozen in his chair, obviously waiting for an explanation. Slowly and cautiously he stood up, taking a deep breath as he surrounded the piece of furniture he was sitting on and took his cousin's hands in his and said, "Yes."

"Do your parents know that?"

They both knew the scope of the question and the danger of the answer.

"No." He confessed softly. “And they can't find out about it. And you can't talk about it to anyone at all. ”

“Why? It’s a secret?"

"It's just complicated."

“I can't believe this. What were you thinking when you let that happen? You know your parents, they would never agree to that. We are talking about a pregnancy, you cannot hide it for long. ”

"I won't be with the baby."

"And what do you mean by saying that?"

"The baby is not mine." Baekhyun revealed and his response left Jongin with even more doubts. "It's my best friend’s."

"I don’t understand..."

“A few months ago, he discovered that he couldn't have children. He's married and that's their dream, so I'm just helping them both. ” He explained and his cousin started shaking his head.

"You must have just gone crazy." He murmured skeptically. "That kind of thing never ends well."

"And you can't predict that." Baekhyun retaliated by moving away, he was a little irritated by Jongin's opinion about his plans.

"This child is growing up inside  _ you."  _ Jongin said with an emphasis on the last words, and meanwhile redirected his gaze to Baekhyun's flat stomach. "Have you thought about how you will feel when it's time to hand him over to the real parents?"

Baekhyun still hadn't thought about it, he was trying not to think seriously about what he was doing to himself.

"Nobody can know about that, Jongin." He repeated it in a warning tone. “My parents cannot imagine that I am giving birth to a friend's baby voluntarily. They would never agree with the idea that I can leave my position at the family business. ”

"Okay..." Jongin said reluctantly, when he finally raised his head and gave his cousin a sad and condescending look. "How are you feeling? I followed my sisters' pregnancies, I realized how difficult it must be to go through this alone. And I'm really sorry for what I said before, I'm just concerned about you. ”

"I am very well." Baekhyun replied, managing to smile again. "And I'm not exactly alone, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol help me with everything I need."

"Your assistant?" Jongin asked, Baekhyun nodded positively. “This is surprising. Even so, I need to congratulate you on this great gesture of friendship. ”

Baekhyun thanked him, smiling lovingly as he stepped forward and held Jongin in a possessive and overwhelming hug. His cousin complained, moving away and smoothing out his wrinkled clothes.

"The last time we saw you, you were running away from a conversation with one of your parents." Jongin commented, stroking his shoulders and shaking him slightly. "Were you crying?"

"I wasn't crying." He retaliated, still very ashamed of his emotional reaction to his father's words.

“Please don't try to lie to me. You almost ran into one of the workers when you were running to your office. ”

"Okay. I cannot deny that you have seen the whole show. ” He said feeling truly embarrassed, the pregnancy hormones were turning him into a completely emotional and needy person.

Baekhyun could never forget the inexplicable attitudes that his parents reserved exclusively for him.

“I just wanted things to be a little less complicated, I just wish I could make my own decisions. Decide my own future. ” He commented sadly.

Jongin knew Baekhyun's true dreams, he recognized the influence that parents could have on their children, especially when it came to their family. As a consolation, he returned his cousin's embrace regardless of the appearance of his clothes and promised that he would help him from that moment on.

When he left his cousin's office a few minutes later , Jongin found Kyungsoo sitting at his desk with a guilty look and a sad expression . He offered a knowing smile to his cousin's assistant, who reacted with a new startled look as he watched him march to the elevator with the files properly signed.

*

Everyone was having fun, loud music played through loudspeakers placed at strategic points in the room. Tables were fed up with traditional and international food and many drinks were being ingested by adults.

On Saturday, Baekhyun had been coerced by his friends to leave their lonely apartment to spend the night at Sehun and Han's house. They had just moved into a house in a family neighborhood a few days ago. For the first time in months, they would abandon their responsibilities of being parents and have fun while their daughters were being supervised by their grandparents.

Almost all of his friends were drunk on cheap beer, except Baekhyun who had lost count of how many times he had refused alcohol because of his pregnancy. Chanyeol's eagle gaze always met Baekhyun's when someone offered him something to drink. He also wouldn't be irresponsible and spontaneously drink something that could harm the baby growing in his stomach. So the cold glass of juice in his hand was being refilled.

Baekhyun needed to confess that Chanyeol's supervision was not exactly uncomfortable. He felt a little warmer than usual every time he met the other man's gaze. There was a thin, constant layer of sweat forming on the back of his neck and forehead, the result of the tension in his body.

Tired of listening to the conversation of the group gathered around Sehun on the sofa near the balcony, he abandoned his drink and got up, fixing his sweatshirt quickly before walking cautiously across the room towards the bathroom. When he stopped in front of the long mirror, he noticed his cheeks slightly dyed by a blush. He turned on the tap and wet his face with his hands, feeling a slight relief from the contrasting temperatures. 

Baekhyun had realized that in his fourth month of pregnancy, his body was experiencing an oscillating state of excitement. However, he had never felt that way with just looks, especially with the looks of his best friend's husband.

Upon becoming aware of this, from that moment on Baekhyun would try to keep a safe distance from Chanyeol.

Park Chanyeol was incredibly charming, every time he heard that voice coming out strong by those reddish and thick lips, muscles amazing, his mind firm, and imposing height that made Byun Baekhyun feel weak.

He sighed in surprise when he realized what he was doing again, but it was impossible to stop his mind from feeding his desires. That particular night, Chanyeol was wearing a high-necked sweater, making all the muscles noticeable through the fabric.

"Hmmm ..." Baekhyun bit his lip hard when he heard his own groan, he felt truly ashamed. Shaking his head, he tried to convince himself that being excited by the perception of his best friend's husband's body was very, very wrong. But, no amount of thoughts would be able to diminish the growing erection forming inside his clothes.

Baekhyun closed his eyes, leaning on the edges of the sink to try to distract and prevent his hands from resting on the front of his pants. Sweating cold, he turned on the tap again and washed his face with cold water.

"Damn it!" He muttered through clenched teeth. "This is so wrong and shameful." Baekhyun had been successful in hiding his desire for Chanyeol in the past, but the pregnancy was quickly destroying his entire composure.

"Baekhyun?" A voice called from the other side of the door and he jumped in surprise when he recognized it perfectly. He huddled against the wall, wondering whether or not to answer. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" Chanyeol asked, sounding surprisingly concerned. "It's been a while since you disappeared,  _ we're  _ starting to get worried."

Baekhyun himself had not realized how much time had passed, but if Chanyeol had sought him out, it was because he was aware of his absence.

"Baek... hyun ?"

"I am fine." He replied almost breathlessly. "I'm just-..."

Upon hearing the sound of the door being opened, Baekhyun remembered that he had never locked it in the first place and desperate, he fell on the floor as if he were looking for something under the bathroom cabinet. He could stand up and look into the other man's eyes, however, he didn't want to expose the lingering erection between his legs.

"Hey..." Chanyeol whispered, his thick voice causing a series of chills to go under Baekhyun's skin, who bit his lip to contain a groan. "You fell? Are you hurt? ”

When he realized that the bigger one was approaching, he raised a hand to stop him.

"No... Please, I need to be alone." He pleaded in a tearful voice, raising his head only.

"Don't you need my help?"

_ That's all I need right now,  _ Baekhyun thought.

"No." He responded immediately, trying to stop himself from making another answer.

"Raise." Instead of answering, he just shook his head. "Why not?"

"Can't you just go out and not question me at all?"

"No." Chanyeol murmured, ending the distance that separated them and lifted Baekhyun by the arms.

"Hmm... Hmm ..." Baekhyun grunted, looking down at the noticeable volume in his jeans. Chanyeol perished to follow his gaze, remaining silent as he walked away when he realized the real reason for the other’s hesitation to get up off the floor and remain alone.

"I -... I'm sorry." He stammered, feeling ashamed and guilty. "I'm really sorry for getting in your way."

"Stop." Baekhyun interrupted him, saving the two from having that humiliating conversation. "Forget it, please, just get out of here."

Chanyeol didn't think twice before heading for the door and this time Baekhyun was sure that he had locked himself in the room correctly.

"My god..." he whispered as he reflected on what had happened.

A smile drew across his lips as he remembered the older man's shocked expression, it had been strange and yet it had been the most radical moment of his life.

Minutes later, when he managed to calm the desire that burned inside him, he left the bathroom and walked to the kitchen where his friends were finishing a vegetarian pizza around the counter.

Kyungsoo was laughing out loud at Han's frustrated paternity confessions, both were obviously drunk. Chanyeol was accompanying the two, but he was sober enough not to try the terrible pineapple pizzas in the boxes left on the counter.

And when their eyes met again, he did not react, and it was as if nothing had happened there just a few minutes ago.

Baekhyun didn't know exactly what he was thinking when he advanced towards the group in the kitchen, he ended up freezing when he didn't know what to say.

"I'm tired." He spat. He wasn't exactly thinking coherently when he said those words, he just wished and hoped Chanyeol would feel the same and offer to drive him home by car.

And he also didn't know why he needed it, but it was all Baekhyun wanted most at that moment: to be alone with Chanyeol.

"Do you want a room?" Han offered and Baekhyun immediately denied it, as he never intended to give up his initial plan.

"No, I just want to end the day once and for all." He said. "My back is hurting and my feet are swollen."

"Speaking like that, it looks like you're pregnant." Han commented amusingly, but Kyungsoo's reaction ended up making the simple comment true. When Kyungsoo abandoned his soda, hurried out of the kitchen to enter the yard, the remaining three men looked at each other. "What just happened here?" He asked surprisingly soberly, noting his friends' overreaction. 

"This is absurd." Baekhyun said, laughing nervously.

"But it's not impossible." The older one added, turning his attention to the pizza.

Ignoring the comment, Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol and asked, "Can you take me home?"

Chanyeol agreed and went ahead to say goodbye to the new friends, giving up looking for his husband after fifteen useless minutes, Kyungsoo seemed to have locked himself in some room and just fallen asleep.

The two left the house at 2:40 in the morning.

There was absolutely no one on the street at that time, just dirty yellow lights illuminating the streets as they walked to where the car had been parked earlier. 

The silence between them was uncomfortable and was only broken the moment Baekhyun tried to open the car's rear door, when Chanyeol said, "Sit in the front , I'm not your driver."

"Okay." Baekhyun managed to say it without stuttering, then immediately went around the car and settled uncomfortably next to Chanyeol.

The bigger one looked much sexier driving confidently through the streets and apparently didn't need his address. Baekhyun watched diligently as he watched Chanyeol head precisely in the direction of his neighborhood.

Only when it was too late did he realize what he was doing when he smiled silently.

"Stop." Chanyeol murmured without taking his eyes off the street.

"Stop with what?"

"You've been looking at me for a long time, it's scary."

"Excuse me." Baekhyun received no further comment, however he felt a shiver when the cold wind from the air conditioner hit his two hot cheeks.

"You look sick."

"I am fine."

"It's cold and yet, you spent the night sweating and flushing ." Chanyeol stressed to Baekhyun's horror; and when the car finally stopped in front of his building he formulated a really risky plan.

"I'm actually feeling a little dizzy." He lied, bringing his hand theatrically to his forehead, covered by damp bangs.

"If you want, we can go to a emergency room-…”

"No, it must be just fatigue." He broke off. “Could you come with me? The idea of using the elevator right now is a little scary. ”

Chanyeol nodded in agreement, unbuckling his seat belt and getting out of the car to help Baekhyun.

[C]

As they passed security and the challenge of the elevator, the smaller guided him down the hall to one of the only two doors on the floor.

Chanyeol was amazed at the size and decoration of the entire environment; there was a huge room with big and comfortable sofas, a television hanging over the electric fireplace, small tables with vases and seemingly expensive decorative objects and a monochromatic kitchen with very well organized household items, everything seemed to have come out of one of those famous international design magazines.

However, Chanyeol found he was even more delighted when in one of the open doors he saw Baekhyun trying to put on a new shirt. And the surprised sigh escaped, consequently scaring the other man who tried futilely to cover him with the garment.

At that point, the image was permanently engraved in his memory.

Chanyeol never thought he would be delighted with something like that; it was just difficult to put into words what he was feeling about Baekhyun. Since the first meeting with the doctor, he secretly wanted to touch the place where his baby was growing up.

Until that moment, Baekhyun had made sure to wear only clothes that were loose enough to hide the small bulge in his stomach.

"You've surprised me." The youngest murmured in a mysterious mixture of emotions. And with the bright light in the room, Chanyeol could notice the redness dominating Baekhyun's cheeks and other sensitive parts of his skin.

"I..." Chanyeol didn't feel the need to apologize. "You left me alone, I thought you were feeling bad." He said when he managed to get his voice back.

"I needed a new shirt." Baekhyun explained, still clinging to the fabric of his shirt. "And now you're the one who's looking at me strangely." He added very slowly.

"Excuse me." Chanyeol said, embarrassed, but not looking away. "It's just that I can't stop looking at your belly." He confessed.

"Do you want to play?" It was almost as if Baekhyun was really hoping that Chanyeol would.

"I can?"

"Of course."

With the answer, Chanyeol entered the room and advanced towards Baekhyun, and when he was just a few centimeters, he raised his hand, touching the small bump on the other man's lower abdomen.

The skin under his touch was incredibly smooth and covered the spot where the baby was supposed to be.

"It is so small and beautiful." Chanyeol commented, truly moved. Looking up, he noticed that there was a similar look in Baekhyun's dark eyes. The moment his other hand landed on his waist, the smaller one sighed loudly as if he had been burned.

In a bold move, Baekhyun put his small hand over Chanyeol's, which rested on his belly, biting his lip as if he were preventing himself from saying anything.

"I... Can you hug me?" He finally said.

Chanyeol did not hesitate to circle his arms around Baekhyun's stature, resting his chin on the top of his head and feeling the little one relax and grab his shirt tightly.

Taking a deep breath, he swore he could absorb the other's subtle scent while enjoying the softness of his skin and brown hair. His body throbbed anxiously, wanting to feel more of that strange feeling that bubbled in his chest.

The moment was interrupted when he heard something being whispered against his chest, Chanyeol had to move away and ask Baekhyun to repeat himself.

"I don't want to be alone." He repeated, ashamed. "Can you spend the night here with me?"

"Yes." He replied, startled by the ease with which words passed his lips.

Turning off the lights and grabbing his hand, Baekhyun guided him to the bed and climbed up to sit on his legs, Chanyeol stopped beside the bed, slowly observing the admirable body in front of him.

"If you want you can... take off that sweater."

His hands quickly grabbed the edge of the thick sweater, leaving only the white undershirt while the other garment fell into a confused puddle at his feet.

Chanyeol climbed on the bed, carefully following Baekhyun's movements, the smallest was the first to approach and the icy tips of his fingers landed on the wide chest while resting his head on the pile of pillows. At that moment, he thought the smaller one looked incredibly charming even though the room was partially dark.

"It's alright?" He asked after a while.

The rapid breathing revealed that the youngest had not yet fallen asleep. "Yes." Baekhyun whispered in response. "I feel so alone and needy at night."

"I -..."

"We can just be quiet."

"Okay." Chanyeol chose not to question the request, remaining silent when his arms wrapped around Baekhyun, who gradually seemed to fall asleep.

Hours later, when he raised his head and looked at the analog clock on the table beside the bed, he realized that the day was about to break and he should not be there.

Carefully getting rid of the arms around him, he moved away and got out of bed to retrieve his sweater from the floor and the rest of his sanity. Chanyeol was about to leave the room, however, he stopped and returned until he was standing beside the bed to lean over and leave a kiss on Baekhyun's parted lips.

Only when he was alone in his car, stopped at a red light did he finally realize what had really happened that night. Chanyeol had spent the night with Baekhyun, even though nothing serious had happened between the two and he never thought about his husband.


	5. Chapter 5

[B]

It had been a bad idea.

When Baekhyun met Jongin, a few weeks ago at a small restaurant late at night , he confessed that he was suffering at night with body aches and morning sickness, so his cousin recommended yoga classes for pregnant women. Baekhyun had scoffed and immediately rejected the idea, but exactly a week later Jongin was introducing him to a teacher specializing in private lessons. 

The baby was growing rapidly and he was gaining weight, feeling his whole body change and according to the instructor, the exercises help with the pain.

Jongin had been happy to accompany Baekhyun as a partner, four days after school the two were on their way to the emergency room. Because, Baekhyun had hurt his wrist painfully during one of the exercises and Jongin was driving while mentally blaming himself for what happened. The two had been distracted during the teacher's instruction and at the moment they were performing the movement, Baekhyun became unbalanced and before he could fall on his belly his hand preceded the impact.

When they arrived at the emergency room, they were redirected by a nurse to a hospital bed. Baekhyun had ended up calling Kyungsoo and telling him about the small incident, and his friend demanded to know which hospital they were going to.

"What exactly happened?" Asked the same nurse, cautiously analyzing his slightly swollen wrist.

"We were practicing yoga and I ended up losing my balance during one of the positions." Baekhyun confessed in shame. A second later, Kyungsoo, Chanyeol and Kai entered the small room with frightened expressions as they marched towards him. "Everything is fine with me and the baby." He assured the concerned trio that they stopped beside him. 

He felt a little guilty about scaring the couple and making them travel to the hospital when it was okay, but he himself had been worried that it might have happened and needed the support of the only people who knew his secret.

"We were very concerned." Chanyeol murmured as he approached the nurse, his eyes were fixed on the hands that immobilized Baekhyun's injured wrist.

"So is there a baby?" The nurse smiled looking up, finally noticing the small volume visible through his baggy shirt. "Who of these is the father?"

"It's me." Chanyeol and Kyungsoo responded simultaneously, both exchanged glances and after a silent agreement Chanyeol repeated itself. "The son is mine."

The nurse just smiled again, apparently not knowing what to say. Only when he finished immobilizing his wrist did he cautiously add: “You were very lucky that you didn't break your wrist. At the moment, it is swollen from the impact and will return to normal in just a few days. The doctor will come and recommend some remedies for possible pain. ”

"Okay. Thank you." Baekhyun smiled and watched the nurse left the small room, leaving them alone.

"Were you practicing yoga together?" Kyungsoo questioned, raising his eyebrows as if he couldn't believe it.

"Yes." Baekhyun responded by sharing a look with Jongin.

"Why?" This time, it was Chanyeol who asked.

"I was in a lot of pain." He explained.

In the next second, the doctor decided to appear in the room. “I knew what happened to your wrist. Very lucky indeed.” He murmured as he studied the medical record hanging on his bed, prescribing medication. “I am recommending an analgesic for wrist pain, I recommend that you rest while your injury improves. Avoid stress and heavy physical activities, this is essential for you and your baby's health. ”

An hour later, they were comfortable in the living room of Kyungsoo and Chanyeol's apartment. The couple had left them alone, preparing some side dishes in the kitchen before serving the table. Baekhyun had noticed Jongin's mild discomfort from the first moment they entered the building.

"You don't seem very comfortable."

"I don't think I  _ should _ be here." Jongin muttered under his breath, writhing on the sofa.

"We are together, you can't just leave me alone here." Baekhyun retaliated, as he was no longer comfortable in the couple's presence.

"They are your friends." His cousin made an observation, rising from the couch. "I'll take your car, since you can't drive."

"Are you leaving?" Kyungsoo asked Jongin entering the room, abandoning the bowl he held on the table before approaching with a disappointed look.

"I need... I mean, my parents must be waiting for me for dinner." Lied Jongin, refusing to look away from Kyungsoo, as Baekhyun was aware that he did not live in his parents' house and rarely visited and shared a dinner with his family.

Kyungsoo smiled and went back to distribute the dishes on the table. Baekhyun accompanied Jongin to the door and slowly put on his jacket, thanked him and said goodbye before returning to the kitchen.

"You didn't tell me about yoga." Kyungsoo commented, as if Baekhyun should reveal all the details of what was going on in his life. And that was gradually stressing the pregnant man.

“I thought I didn't have to tell you. That was not in the contract. ”

His friend dropped a plate sharply on the table, looking up at him with puzzled eyes. “No, but we are friends. You know you can tell me everything. ”

"Yes I know. But, I just didn't want to talk about it with you. ”

"What is wrong with you?"

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with me." Baekhyun retaliated, exchanging looks with Kyungsoo. “Do you think I'm wrong? I don't have to tell you anything if I don't want to. ”

"Great."

"Great." Baekhyun repeated in an even louder tone, attracting the attention of Chanyeol who left the kitchen and watched them with a confused look.

"What's going on here?" When neither of the two friends replied, he shook his head and smiled. "These are just the hormones of pregnancy." He murmured amusedly, returning to the kitchen.

After a quick dinner, a slightly sulky Baekhyun announced that he was going home.

His friend had locked himself in the room to avoid saying goodbye, the two of them were irritated for insignificant reasons. Chanyeol offered him a coat as it was getting a little colder at night, the two got into the elevator and were walking through the building's lobby to wait for the taxi.

A strange sensation in his stomach startled him, he placed both hands on the small belly and sighed in surprise when he felt it again.

"What's happening?" Chanyeol asked, stopping in his footsteps. Baekhyun looked up and smiled widely. He took a few steps forward to stop in front of the other man, taking a hand and placing it on his belly.

"The baby." He explained, smiling at the third kick. Chanyeol jumped in surprise to feel the baby kick under his hand.

"Wow ." He murmured extremely happily, placing his other hand under his belly. “I am so moved. Thank you." He confessed looking up, before capturing him in his arms.

The younger man froze at the reaction, but accepted the hug by wrapping his arms around his chest.

Since the day he had slept in Chanyeol's arms, Baekhyun felt different and was happy that the baby had chosen that moment to give his first kick.

"It's our little baby." Chanyeol whispered fondly against his hair, hearing him say that made Baekhyun strangely proud. And he could literally feel his heart start to beat faster.

_ Our little baby. _

When he walked away, Baekhyun mentally thanked the poor street lighting because he could feel his cheeks warm, both from the warm hug and from Chanyeol's words.

"Thank you for sharing this moment with me." Chanyeol said, grabbing his hand affectionately. "I know you could have done it in a completely different way."

"You do not have to thank me." Baekhyun responded happily for sharing this moment with  **his** baby 's other father . And after smiling at each other, Baekhyun said goodbye and went alone to the taxi waiting for him in front of the building.

*

"Can we schedule a day next weekend?" He asked, cursing under his breath when the cell phone slipped from his shoulder directly to the floor. Han holding that conversation for fifteen minutes, while patiently feeding his adorable twins;

Baekhyun was locked in his office for a few hours working and making up for lost time after a two-hour nap on the couch, he was flipping through a photo catalog of models for the company's next promotional photoshoot. Furthermore, his right wrist was immobilized, it was complicated and it required a lot of energy to do so many things at the same time.

"Yimin just spit on Yujie ." Han said, smiling as he walked away from the phone to clean his babies .

"Lovely." Baekhyun commented, really bored. “Can we talk about this later? I'm really busy at the moment. ”

"Of course." Han agreed, shouting when his daughters started taking food with their bare hands. “Just don't forget, I need to meet with adults. I think I'm going to go crazy talking to just my daughters. ”

When he promised to set aside a day to go out with his friend, they ended the call and he could finally finish selecting the models he wanted for his campaign. A few hours later, when his stomach rumbled and his mind refused to read the words on his computer screen, Baekhyun gave up and gathered his coat and keys and, while walking towards the elevator, was startled when Jongin left one of the meeting rooms.

"What were you doing ?" He asked, however, that his red cheeks and his clumsy attitude were sufficiently explanatory. "It doesn't matter, I prefer not to know." 

"You're leaving?" Jongin asked, stopping in front of one of the glass walls checking that your hair was in order.

"Yes." Baekhyun responded by repeatedly pressing the elevator button, fearing that his cousin's secret lover would leave the meeting room at any moment. "I am starving."

Jongin just laughed, also entering the elevator. "Want company?"

"Of course, you are always a good company."

They both left the company in the car and the driver dropped them off at a Japanese restaurant, where Baekhyun quickly ate two portions of Udon , while Jongin was distracted by some sushi and sashimi . And for dessert, they chose ice cream cones.

"You are eating a lot." Jongin commented after Baekhyun tasted his ice cream, accidentally eating more than half of the ice cream.

"I'm sorry." Baekhyun mumbled in embarrassment, but his cousin's ice cream looked much more appetizing than the flavor he had chosen himself.

"It's all right. Do you still want to? ” Jongin asked when he couldn't take his eyes off the candy in his hands. Baekhyun simply accepted and finished it in a matter of seconds .

"What do you intend to do now?" He asked again as they left the restaurant, but before it could be answered, Baekhyun yawned loudly. "Okay. You are tired, I will take you home.”

"Thank you, Jonginnie!" Baekhyun jokingly clung to his cousin's arm, shivering with cold on the way to where his car had been parked.

"Baekhyun?"

He was startled to hear his name, but when he turned in the direction of the sound, he found Chanyeol accompanied by other men. The taller man said goodbye quickly to his friends who completely disapproved of his decision, and then approached him with a small smile on his lips.

"This afternoon. What are you doing on the street at a time like this? ”

Baekhyun and Jongin exchanged looks, shrugging. "We were eating ice cream."

"In winter?"

"It was a wish." This explanation seemed to be enough to silence the giant. "And you, what are you doing? Were those your friends? ”

"Yes, they are also my co-workers ." Chanyeol said, using a strangely concerned tone. "Do you need a ride?"

The two faced each other again and before Baekhyun could say anything, Jongin replied with a lie: "Yes, he needs a ride." They had left the company in his car, but since he still couldn't drive because of his injured wrist, his cousin would take his car without his permission.

"Great. My car is parked nearby. ” Chanyeol said when Jongin practically ran and disappeared around the corner. "You look tired."

"It's true, I'm a little tired." Baekhyun admitted, rubbing his eyes.

"How's your pulse?"

Baekhyun raised his wrist in the air randomly, as long as he took the painkillers recommended by the doctor, his pulse had not interfered much in his routine . "It's ok." He confessed looking at the man walking beside him. "I think I'll be able to remove that immobilizer in the next few days."

"This is wonderful news ."

"Were you hanging out with your friends?" He said casually, hoping he would explore the matter further.

"Yeah , and we were celebrating."

"Oh really? What exactly were you celebrating? ”

"An idol who recorded our music debuted high in the trending topics ." He revealed with a big, proud smile.

"Congratulations." Baekhyun said. "But your friends didn't look happy when you left them."

"They can get over it easily after a few bottles of soju." Chanyeol murmured, laughing.

"Did you tell your husband about this?"

“In fact, I didn't have that much time to call him during the day. I intend to talk about it when we are at home.” Chanyeol revealed, unlocking the car and opening the passenger door for Baekhyun, laughing as he remembered the last time they were both in the same car.

When they arrived in the garage in front of their building, they both remained in their seats and were silent in the dark. "Do you want to come up with me?" 

Chanyeol looked away, focusing on some pedestrians that were walking late at night, his hands were tense and stuck behind the wheel. After a few seconds, he sighed and turned off the car and turned around with a smile on his lips.

Baekhyun tried to contain his euphoria as he got out of the car, guiding Chanyeol through the interior of the building. When they finally entered his apartment, he poured himself a hot drink and quickly left to change his dirty clothes, wash his face and get rid of the smell of the restaurant's food.

Upon returning to the living room, Chanyeol got up from the couch and looked at Baekhyun with a conflicting expression, as if he was afraid of what he could do.

"Why did you really invite me?"

Baekhyun would have to be very careful to answer the question, his words had a high destructive power and he also wanted to be sincere about his feelings.

"I like you." He revealed.

"You hated me just a few weeks ago."

"No, I never really hated you."

"So-..."

"I feel guilty about revealing this now, but I can't help myself feeling this way anymore." He confessed cowardly, looking away.

"You know this is going to change what happened and there will be between us, right?" Chanyeol questioned slowly, but Baekhyun just shook his head and refused to lift his head.

He was nervous and couldn't understand exactly what the other man meant, but his heart started beating violently in his chest when Chanyeol approached where Baekhyun was standing in the room.

And suddenly, his hands were caught between the other man's .

“If I had never felt anything for you, I would not have accompanied you and demanded that you confess. I am fully aware that this is wrong in many ways, but there is something about you that really puzzles me. I can't stop thinking about you since that day we slept together.” Chanyeol murmured, pausing to take a deep breath before finally adding, "I like you too."

Baekhyun, upon hearing such words, smiled before standing on tiptoe to reach Chanyeol's lips. The kiss was just a light touch of the lips, but it was enough to make his whole body vibrate in ecstasy. And when the older man's hands landed softly on his hips, Baekhyun leaned over and his body molded perfectly to Chanyeol's.

A sigh escaped when he noticed the change in the speed and ferocity of the kiss, and the next second their tongues were vying for control and hands freely slid by their bodies. Baekhyun wanted to map all of Chanyeol's muscles, find all the tender spots and torture them under his fingertips and lips.

Chanyeol fell on the couch when Baekhyun pushed his shoulders, the bigger one looked up and smiled before being pulled in the other direction, accommodating the smaller one in his lap to continue the kiss.

"We can..." Baekhyun failed to continue, as Chanyeol was spreading intense kisses on his neck while his hands were busy opening all the buttons on his clothes. He could feel how hard the other was, how heavy his breathing was and how much his hands wanted to touch his skin more. "Can we stop?" He asked, breathing with a little difficulty.

The request surprised both of them.

Baekhyun walked away, feeling guilty and a bad friend for being just a few steps away from contributing to a breakup, Kyungsoo didn't deserve it at all.

"Why did you stop?" Chanyeol asked, sitting on the couch, trying to regain some composure.

"I can't do this..." Baekhyun confessed through a whisper, he could feel his whole hot face and his hands were shaking.

"Okay." Chanyeol murmured, looking away quickly. He ended up getting off the couch after a few seconds of silence, walking back and forth while running his hands through his hair. "Do you want me to leave now?"

"No." Baekhyun replied immediately. He was in conflict, but he didn't want to be alone again. "You can stay? Can we just sleep together, like the other time?” Questioned, Chanyeol agreed and approached holding out his hand for Baekhyun to accept.

[C]

Chanyeol had not escaped as he had last time, he remained stretched out on the immense bed, enjoying the heat provided by the sleeping body beside him and silently admiring the sight of Baekhyun. The pregnant man looked peaceful while sleeping, having easily given in to fatigue hours ago.

After hours awake, Chanyeol was unable to understand his own feelings, there was so much confusion clouding his mind and preventing him from having coherent thoughts. He didn't know what he would do when it was finally time to get up, facing reality seemed extremely difficult at that moment. He had noticed that their marriage had stalled in a messy and complicated place.

Over the past few months, he had realized that he and Kyungsoo were becoming increasingly distant because of the constant routine in both jobs, Baekhyun's pregnancy and other things that even Chanyeol couldn't name. Nobody could imagine what were the problems that hindered their lives and they had never stopped to talk about it.

Initially, Chanyeol thought he could go through this whole situation immune to Baekhyun's secret charms, but he had failed miserably since he was lying on his surrogate's bed and wasn't exactly concerned with the schedule and the lie he was going to tell his husband.

The hours and minutes seemed to drag on the clock on the table beside the bed and he had not slept or rested enough.

When the first rays of sunlight began to flood the room with golden light, Baekhyun pulled away from his arms with a small grimace before rushing up and running to the bathroom, Chanyeol was startled and immediately followed.

From the bathroom door, he watched the young man get to his knees on the floor as he emptied the entire contents of his stomach. When he was finished, two silent tears slid down his pale cheeks from the effort.

"Isn't that a great way to start the day?" He commented sarcastically, his voice sounded extremely fragile.

Chanyeol reached out and helped him to his feet, offering him a glass of tap water. "Okay." He murmured, brushing the strands of hair from the smaller man's sweaty forehead. "You don't look very healthy to me."

"It's all right." Baekhyun said, throwing some cold water on his face. "It must have been Japanese food and ice cream I ate at dinner yesterday." He confessed by clinging to one side of the sink. "I need a little privacy."

"Of course." Chanyeol responded by heading out of the room, stopping only because Baekhyun stopped him.

"Please, do not go."

"I will not leave." He responded by placing his hand on the delicate, icy fingers that rested on his arm. "I must prepare something for you, I bet you must be hungry."

Baekhyun nodded as he smiled, closing the door when Chanyeol walked away.

*

The kitchen looked completely untouched.

Chanyeol was almost sure that Baekhyun did not use the room and was fed only by delivery, judging by the leaflets scattered on the counter and the packaging in the trash. However, there were a variety of fruits, vegetables and organic snacks in the refrigerator.

A little hesitantly, he removed some vegetables from the refrigerator, cut them into small pieces and put them in a pan and while waiting for the vegetables to cook, he found a coffee maker and a huge amount of coffees. When the soup was ready and during Chanyeol's second cup of coffee, Baekhyun entered the kitchen with slightly wet hair and a new set of clean clothes.

The youngest fell on one of the benches, lying on the bench, still sick.

"You should eat some." Chanyeol said when Baekhyun didn't move a muscle to taste the soup.

"I can't do it, I feel like I will throw up again anytime." He grunted, placing his hand on his stomach.

"You need to feed yourself." He insisted on sliding the soup bowl towards him, placing the spoon in his hand. "I cooked it myself, you should at least taste it."

When Baekhyun finally raised his head and analyzed the soup container and appearance, he dug the spoon and turned the cooked vegetables over before bringing a spoon to his lips. He looked slightly healthy, as there was a slight pink tinge to his cheeks.

After the first spoonful, he exhaled contentedly. "It is very tasty."

Baekhyun only stopped when he emptied the whole soup bowl and after that dragged Chanyeol to the living room sofa, where he rested his head on his shoulder while watching some drama replay, as it was too early to worry about work.

"We should talk." Chanyeol said interrupting the silence that had been established. "We can't pretend that nothing is happening."

Baekhyun froze beside him, apparently he was not ready to think consciously about the situation. "You..."

“We can't ignore how far we would have gone last night, if you hadn't stopped us. I can’t ignore you anymore and pretend I don’t care about you anymore. ” He confessed.

"Chanyeol..."

“I want and intend to continue with this. I want to be by your side now, when the baby is born and after that.” Chanyeol admitted, looking into Baekhyun's eyes, loving the way the brown of his iris took on a soft glow. "However, I need some time."

"It's okay,  _ he  _ and I can wait." Baekhyun responded eagerly, leaning forward excitedly to kiss Chanyeol on the lips.

The two spent some more time on the couch, Chanyeol can comfortably caress and enjoy Baekhyun's small belly, hoping the baby will kick over his touch again. And when it was time to say goodbye, they exchanged a few more kisses and he promised he would come back as soon as he could.

When he got into the car he rested his head on the steering wheel with a huge smile, startled by the notifications from the cell phone forgotten on the car console the night before.

There were twenty messages and about ten calls from his husband.

The content of the messages varied between:

_ Where are you? I am worried. _

_ Chanyeol? _

_ Hope you're well. _

_ Please, reply to my messages. _

Chanyeol responded to the messages, stating that he was fine and that he was returning home immediately and did not wait for an answer, starting the car and driving away from Baekhyun's building.

It took him a few long minutes to finally park in his parking space in the underground parking lot of his own building, and the ride to his apartment was made in slow steps, stopping in the corridor he sighed deeply before typing the password on the door.

Kyungsoo was sitting at the table holding a large cup of steaming black coffee. "Where were you? And where was your bloody cell phone, Chanyeol? Were you too busy to reply to my messages or were you purposely ignoring me?” He asked in a strangely calm tone.

"I'm sorry." Chanyeol murmured leaving the kitchen and walking to the bedroom, to throw himself on the bed exhausted while being watched by Kyungsoo. "I left my cell phone in the car."

"Where were you exactly?"

"In the studio." Chanyeol lied. "I was drinking and celebrating with my colleagues and then we ended up falling asleep in the studio."

"Why were you celebrating?" Kyungsoo asked curiously and then Chanyeol remembered that he had not revealed the good news to his husband. _ Great. _

"One of our recent songs debuted at the top of the country's music charts."

“Chanyeol! Why are you just telling me this now? ”

“You were busy, I was busy, too. There is so much going on at the moment that I forgot to tell you.” This time the lie slid easily across his lips.

Kyungsoo seemed slightly disappointed and when he sat on the bed next to Chanyeol and left a kiss on his cheek he smiled. “It's okay; at least you're telling me about it now. We can still celebrate together.”

"It would be great." Chanyeol murmured without much enthusiasm. "Now, all I need is a few hours of sleep."

"Okay." Kyungsoo said, momentarily forgetting all the discussion and conversation that they both urgently needed to have. "I need to get ready for work, I doubt Baekhyun remembers the schedule of appointments that we will have this morning." He added while separating a set of clothes and taking it to the bathroom.

Baekhyun did not seem unwilling to make any commitment that would make him stand for more than a few minutes, but Chanyeol let Kyungsoo discover this for himself.


	6. EPILOGUE

[B]

A week had passed without Baekhyun knowing or receiving any news from Kyungsoo, his assistant had mysteriously disappeared without any excuse for his absence from the company.

In this way Baekhyun was forced to return to the company for work, facing terrible morning sickness and a consequent headache, his back and feet hurt unbearably at the end of the day in addition to the mood changes that terrified his workers.

He didn't know what had happened between Kyungsoo and Chanyeol, as the older man always changed the subject when he asked if the couple had argued. Part of him hoped that they had finally talked, as he was not exactly in a position to demand anything. A relationship of years, a marriage and plans were being shattered because of the sudden rise of passion.

Baekhyun sighed loudly, trying to prevent himself from becoming even more distressed, as he feared that such feelings would be dangerous for him and the baby.

He was currently trying to find clothing wide enough to cover the bulge in his stomach, as he had agreed to meet his friends at dinner. His wardrobe had needed a small change with the arrival of the last trimester, since his body was rapidly gaining volume, in his last consultation with the obstetrician, he had asked for the baby's sex to be revealed in the absence of the parents - who had chosen find out only after birth. The little baby growing under his heart was a big, healthy boy.

When he found a large green sweater, he smiled, pleased with his appearance in front of the mirror, and ignoring the tiredness and pain spreading quickly through his body after the workday he left the house.

And while driving, he was startled when the phone rang, interrupting the slow music playing on the car radio. Chanyeol was calling after two days without any news, Baekhyun stopped at the shoulder and immediately accepted the call since he was worried.

" Baek ..." Chanyeol said, sounding relieved. "Can we meet? I'm in your building's parking lot and the doorman said you just left. ”

Baekhyun was surprised and a little afraid of the perceived urgency in Chanyeol's voice, before answering, he looked at the clock on the car's display and realized he was a few minutes early for dinner.

“Of course, we can meet immediately. I'm going to the restaurant that opened a few days ago. It's close to the building of Sehun and Han. I will send you the address by message.” Baekhyun informed him before hanging up and sending the message with the address.

He took a deep breath before putting the car on track again, driving faster in the direction of the restaurant. Baekhyun expected to hear good news from Chanyeol at the meeting.

A few days earlier, his friends had booked a private booth in the restaurant to allow them to chat comfortably during the meeting. The Japanese style of the restaurant was absolutely incredible, he was directed to his cabin after extending the reservation to Chanyeol.

The cabin was very well lit with a crystal chandelier attached to the center of the ceiling and the table was long and low with upholstered chairs and back support. Baekhyun chose to sit on the small sofa at one end of the room admiring the fake arrangement of cherry blossoms in a tall vase next to the sofa, before Chanyeol entered the cabin with a smile on his lips.

"Hi." Chanyeol said walking towards him, helping him to get up and leaning down to kiss his lips, dispelling much of the worries that Baekhyun had accumulated in the last twenty minutes. "It's all right?" The older one questioned attentively when he noticed the tension in the man in his arms.

"I really can't say." Baekhyun confessed in shame. "Your absence made me a little nervous, we did not talk for days and I'm worried that something has happened."

"Do not worry, everything is fine." Chanyeol guaranteed with a small smile on his lips. "I'm here to tell you that we can finally be together."

"What? What does that mean?"

"I imagine you have noticed that Kyungsoo has disappeared in the past few days." Chanyeol said and Baekhyun nodded silently, hoping he would continue to explain himself. “Somehow, he found out about us before we could talk. And that week, I received the papers for our divorce. ”

Baekhyun remained silent, not knowing exactly how to react to the news that Chanyeol was telling.

"He gave up on our marriage and the baby." Chanyeol added leaving Baekhyun even more in conflict.

The pregnant man did not know when but he felt hot tears running down his cheeks quickly, he also did not know if those same tears were of sadness or happiness. They could finally be together as they wished and longed for a while, on the other hand he felt incredibly guilty for destroying his best friend's dreams.

Baekhyun was not emotionally prepared to deal with the overwhelming feelings that hit him at that moment, so he was not reluctant to feel his body being held and protected in Chanyeol's arms.

"I am a horrible person." He stammered between sobs, clinging to the fabric of Chanyeol's shirt. "What will happen now?" He threw the question into the air, unable to imagine what might happen in the future.

“Please, don't think so. It’s going to be okay, as long as we're together. ” Chanyeol said as he walked away to hold Baekhyun's face in his hands, kissing his wet lips and cheeks. "Trust me, we'll be fine."

Baekhyun didn't answer, he didn't trust what he could say at that moment.

His thoughts were confused, all Baekhyun could feel was an overwhelming sadness when he remembered that he had betrayed his friendship with Kyungsoo. Then, he cried again while hugging the man in front of him tightly.

"What's going on here?" They heard after the smooth sliding of the wooden doors, when they moved away and looked up they found Han and Sehun completely gaping at the cabin door.

"Are you together ?" Han asked. "Where's Kyungsoo?"

By that time, Baekhyun's tears had frozen, a different kind of panic had set in and overwhelmed him completely, leaving Chanyeol to explain what exactly was going on for his friends.

It had been more than tempting to reveal the secret to the couple in the past few months, as they had recently become parents and could share experiences and allay their concerns as a pregnant man. Baekhyun felt like a terrible friend, hiding many secrets and destroying the dreams of the people he trusted most: his friends.

Upon realizing his state of panic, Chanyeol made Baekhyun sit on the couch again before addressing his friends, asking them to take their places at the table. Gradually he was able to summarize everything that had happened in the past few months, taking breaks to answer Sehun's strangely specific questions.

"So are you pregnant?" Luhan gets up and walks to Baekhyun, who was still in the same place with one hand resting protectively over his little belly. And then when Han showed a smile, Baekhyun realized that he didn't need to be afraid of being hated.

"Yes." He replied in a soft voice, surprised when he felt a hand land on his.

"You always wanted to have a child." His friend commented sympathetically, a little sadly due to the circumstances that made Baekhyun really become pregnant. "I'm sorry for what happened to Kyungsoo." Han muttered under his breath, so that Sehun and Chanyeol wouldn't hear.

"I still can't believe this really happened." Baekhyun confessed sadly, he felt his voice trembling as if he were about to cry again. I feel awful." He added, looking away from his friend.

"Hey. It's alright." Han tried to comfort him, but Baekhyun was aware that this feeling would not leave him easily. "I have also been going out and talking to Kyungsoo lately, and he himself said that he was no longer sure about his marriage."

"Did he really say that?" Baekhyun questioned in surprise, but then recalled that Chanyeol had said that Kyungsoo had given up.

Han nodded as he grabbed Baekhyun's shaking hand. "You shouldn't be sad about it, these feelings are not good for the baby." He said smiling again, before leading his friend to the table.

"So, how many months is the baby?" Sehun asked when they joined the table.

"We are in the seventh month." He replied, unable to hold his smile and gaze on the other father.

"Wow, Luhan was huge in the seventh month of pregnancy." Sehun added amusingly, being scolded immediately by his angry companion. "Just kidding." He added shortly thereafter, trying to reassure Han with a tender kiss on the cheek.

While the couple argued, Baekhyun was slightly startled when Chanyeol's hand found his under the table. It was obvious that they were not yet ready and exactly comfortable to show affection to their friends, but the small gesture appeased the pregnant man's recent concerns.

Over dinner, Baekhyun and Han shared more conversations about pregnancy care and the experience of having twin daughters who begged for attention twenty-four hours a day. Han ended up adding that he would be more than happy to go back to work when Baekhyun wanted and in fact, he was really in need of help at the company, but he would not interrupt the connection that his father needed to strengthen with his adorable twins.

And at the end of the night, when they said goodbye and went back to the apartment previously empty and silent, Baekhyun sighed tiredly as he lay in bed after a quick shower while Chanyeol waited patiently on the other side of the bed.

"Are you alright?" The elder questioned attentively, opening his arms to receive him. Baekhyun crawled and found himself comfortable in Chanyeol's warm, safe embrace. It was incredibly satisfying to come home and not feel exhausted and uncomfortable with all the pain he felt throughout the day.

To answer Chanyeol's question, Baekhyun just shook his head negatively and his vision was gradually blurred by tears. He was emotionally sensitive because of the pregnancy, crying many times for truly questionable reasons. But that day, a lot had happened and he just couldn't keep his tears down.

"I'm sorry for crying." Sobbing, slowly burying his face in Chanyeol's chest that hugged him, Baekhyun felt very ashamed and unworthy of his lover's company.

"You don't have to blame yourself for anything." He said running a hand over his back and kissing the smaller man's hair. "From now on, all we need to worry about is you and the baby." He added some time later, lifting his face and placing a small kiss on his lips.

When he finally managed to stop crying and sobbing, Baekhyun was tired and too comfortable in Chanyeol's arms to simply fall asleep in that same position.

*

This was the fifth time he was late from the company and, even though he had not driven for the past two hours in heavy traffic, he was extremely exhausted.

The baby had not rested at any time, pushing his bladder repeatedly and kicking his ribs a few times, leaving Baekhyun truly worried and in pain. All he wanted at that moment was a hot shower, comfortable pajamas, lots of affection and attention from his lover.

However, when he finally entered his apartment and was not received by his lover, Baekhyun was sad and confused before disposing of his shoes and coat, strolling through the living room and kitchen to find several dishes of homemade food properly served and covered on the table beside him. Wait, but no sign of Chanyeol.

He was about to enter the small corridor that segregated the rest of the rooms when the larger one simply emerged, leaving one of the rooms at the end of the corridor. "Baekhyun."

"Hi." The younger murmured, smiling unconsciously, running to receive a hug and a kiss. Chanyeol had established this small custom, receiving him lovingly after a long and tiring day of work. They had been in the apartment together during the week, sleeping and waking up together.

"How are you?" He asked, stroking his cheeks - which had grown to twice their size with the pregnancy.

"Literally dying." Baekhyun groaned , allowing his limbs to be massaged by Chanyeol's big, magical hands. "I think I will accept another one of those massages." He said referring to the magic that the other man was able to perform by massaging his aching feet and calves.

“Okay, we can work this out later. Now you need to change and eat, you look a little too pale.” He watched even after the few minutes they had met. Baekhyun accepted the suggestion and retired to the bathroom, leaving Chanyeol to go back to whatever he was doing.

The hot water had really helped to relax some stiff muscles and he was more than relieved to get out of the tight clothes that irritated his overly sensitive skin. After dressing in wide, comfortable pajamas, Baekhyun went back to the kitchen and sat in front of Chanyeol to share dinner.

" _ He  _ still hasn't calmed down." Baekhyun commented while eating, a hand resting remarkably on his belly where the baby was restless, making him a little sick and making it impossible to finish dinner.

"You look even paler than before." Chanyeol got up and sat next to him, placing a hand on his belly and being surprised by the baby's movements. "Is he hurting you?"

"No." Baekhyun lied. "I can take it, but it has been repeated all day."

"Maybe we should see a doctor." The older one suggested running his hands behind his back when he suddenly bowed with another blow to his ribs. "Baek ?"

"It's all right." Baekhyun whispered, doing the breathing exercises that his yoga teacher had taught a few weeks ago. Minutes later, he finally managed to return to a seat, but he had no appetite even though he had been hungry for a short time. "I think I just need to lie down for a while, so the baby will be fine."

"I will take you to the bedroom." Chanyeol murmured, pushing the chair away and giving Baekhyun all the support to walk to the room. When his body rested on the mattress, he felt another sequence of movements in his belly, and even with all his stubbornness he was afraid that something was bothering the baby. "Baek , this is really worrying me."

"You shouldn't be worried, everything is fine." He struggled to smile, preventing himself from holding his belly to try to ease the pain in the other man's presence. "I'm just going to sleep a little early."

Chanyeol did not seem exactly convinced by his words, but decided to trust Baekhyun before leaving the room, as he apparently had to work on his computer a few more hours.

When he was finally alone, Baekhyun huddled in the center of the bed and started holding his belly, spreading both hands over the volume and whispering sweet words, hoping his voice would calm the baby.

"It's okay, baby." He whispered slowly, smiling through the pain he was feeling. "We will be fine." And to continue his attempts to calm the baby, he started humming one of his favorite songs.

Baekhyun didn't realize when, but the music did manage to reassure the baby and the sudden movements finally stopped, allowing him to really rest for the first time.

Hours later, Baekhyun woke up suddenly with a stomach growling loudly, one of Chanyeol's arms rested on his waist and his hand on his exposed stomach.

He smiled and wished to remain in that position for the rest of the night, but he could feel that he would not be able to rest if he did not fill his empty stomach.

It was a little easier than he imagined to get rid of the semi-hug, and when he eventually succeeded, he escaped the room being careful not to interrupt his lover's rest.

Baekhyun went to the kitchen or, more precisely, to the fridge, taking out a bottle of milk and following where there were cookies in the cupboard. He practically devoured an entire package of cookies with an unbelievable amount of milk, and when he was finished and was about to go back to bed when he found one of the doors at the end of the hall open and with the light on.

A little curious - since Chanyeol had left the same room earlier - Baekhyun went down the hall and opened the door. And he was completely amazed at what he found, because he never imagined he could have something like that.

Well, there was a white crib in the center of the room, under a shag rug and a white teddy bear, mobile with blue bows and lovely golden crowns moving smoothly with the air . The walls of the room had acquired a soft shade of blue and there was also a dresser under the window, when entering the room and approaching recognized the image of the first ultrasonography in a small wooden frame, Baekhyun did not notice when a tear slid down his cheek.

"Did you like it?"

Baekhyun turned and found Chanyeol standing at the door watching him, there was a smile on his lips and his eyes practically shone in anticipation.

"It's beautiful." Baekhyun confessed by wiping his wet cheek.

He had often found himself thinking and planning a room for the baby in his apartment, wondering what colors would look perfect on the pale walls and what he should choose for decoration, stopping often in store windows and wishing to come in, buy one of those adorable baby outfits. But, he could never really do any of that, because the baby growing under his heart did not belong to him.

And then everything changed.

"Thank you." He whimpered with emotion, hugging his lover tightly, breathing in his perfume as he prevented himself from crying again . "I'm very happy, but how did you know that the baby is a boy?" Baekhyun questioned, looking up to be appreciated with another smile from Chanyeol.

"Baek ... You may not have noticed, but you often refer to the baby as 'he'." Chanyeol explained as he kissed his hair.

"I'm so sorry." Baekhyun confessed in shame. "I knew you guys decided to find out later, but when I saw an opportunity to ask the doctor, I just did it."

"I completely understand and am happy to find out, so I could plan this surprise." The bigger one said, guiding the smaller one to the closet, opening one of the doors to reveal some clothes and shoes aesthetically organized to look beautiful.

Baekhyun smiled as he looked between Chanyeol and the closet. "I don't know exactly what to say now."

"You don't have to say anything else." The other murmured. "Your smile and those tears-" and he paused to wipe away another stubborn tear that slid down his face like a thumb, "are enough for me."

"Thank you for real."

"But what are you really doing up at this time?" Chanyeol asked as Baekhyun took note of the clothes with prints of bears . "I was a little scared when I didn't find you in bed."

The pregnant man simply cringed, ashamed to confess that he had woken up hungry and had just devoured an entire packet of milk biscuits alone in the kitchen . "I was just a little hungry." He said, trying to keep himself busy analyzing the baby's things.

“So can we go back to bed? You can't stay up that late. ” Chanyeol watched carefully. Baekhyun did not want to go back to his room, as he was a little too happy and agitated to stay in bed for the next few hours. However, he was aware that he was also tired and really should sleep to face the challenges of the next day.

He recorded all the small details of the room and the baby's things in his memory before leaving the room , and when he returned to his bed and lay down again in his lover's arms, he managed to fall asleep gradually while feeling his fingers caressing his hair.

*

The next day, Baekhyun woke up slowly with the sunlight shining in the room while listening to Chanyeol humming in the shower, realizing late that there was no morning sickness and it was as if his body had recovered all his strength during the night.

Just the idea of having to leave for work at that moment was really awful.

Still in bed, Baekhyun decided to call for his recently acquired secretary and asked that they re-organize his schedule by transferring their commitments for the next few days and gather all the files that are needed to be reviewed and signed and send them to his apartment by the driver . 

"Who were you talking with?" Chanyeol asked, coming out of the bathroom and Baekhyun looked up quickly, dropping the cell phone unconsciously while admiring the practically naked body of the other man. After all, there was only a white, damp towel wrapped around his hips.

Honestly, Baekhyun didn't know how Chanyeol managed to keep his body firm, with defined muscles and his skin always tanned all the time. He was aware that he was practically drooling over the other man, who seemed to enjoy showing off especially for him.

Baekhyun cleared his throat, looking away while trying to remember what Chanyeol's question had been. "What did you ask me?" He asked after trying unnecessarily to try to remember.

"Were you talking to your secretary?" The other man repeated while smiling, enjoying playing with his sanity.

"Ohh ... yes." Baekhyun responded by sitting on the bed, trying to calm his heartbeat and the sudden excitement that ran through his veins. Since the other man had practically moved into their apartment, they had tried nothing but sleeping in the same bed and being in such intimacy was gradually leaving Baekhyun's body hot everywhere and Chanyeol seemed to be tired of this lack of intimacy. "I think I'm going to be home today."

"You are not feeling anything serious, right?" The elder asked, disappearing into the bathroom, submerging himself dressed in jeans. "You know you can tell me if you're not feeling well, I might as well stay at home with you."

"No, I swear it 's okay." Baekhyun guaranteed, a little disappointed that he could no longer admire Chanyeol's beautiful, built body without clothes. "I'll be fine and I'll call you if I feel anything."

"Then I'll make sure to leave a little earlier to keep you company." Chanyeol promised as he approached the bed, leaving a kiss on Baekhyun's lips. "You didn't have any nausea this morning, but I still prepared a light breakfast for you."

And that was another good thing about sharing the house with the other man, there would always be homemade and delicious food waiting for him. Baekhyun never had so many traditional dishes, even when he lived in his parents' house.

With the mention of breakfast, he managed to get up and walk to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, deciding to postpone the shower. When he left the room and went to the kitchen, Baekhyun found Chanyeol finishing a cup of coffee, sitting comfortably at the head of the table.

The prepared breakfast was delicious and he managed to eat a little bit of everything, then he said goodbye to his lover and decided to be distracted in the baby's room while waiting for his driver to bring his work. Baekhyun was appalled by all the little things Chanyeol bought when he heard someone knock on the door. 

Putting a sweater over his pajamas, Baekhyun walked to the door hurriedly and was really surprised when he opened the door to find Jongin. "Hi." His cousin said before offering a big, contagious smile.

"Hi." Baekhyun replied after overcoming the surprise. He let his cousin enter his apartment, accepting the document folder he had demanded from his secretary. "What are you doing here?"

“I was about to ask to speak with you when your secretary answered your call. So, I decided to bring your work myself. ” Jongin informed him, sitting on one of the sofas, Baekhyun was really grateful to his cousin for the generosity of doing him a favor.

Jongin had been a real savior, often representing Baekhyun at meetings that needed his presence and none of his parents had suspected their agreement so far.

"How are you with all that is going on?" Jongin questioned.

"What do you mean?" Baekhyun retaliated, widening his eyes, worried by his cousin's sudden curiosity.

"The separation of Kyungsoo and Chanyeol?" Jongin asked and Baekhyun had no idea how much he knew about the subject. "He's staying here with you, isn't he?"

"How do you know that? Who told you?"

"Kyungsoo, obviously." The brunette answered sincerely, leaving the pregnant man to question the closeness of the two.

"Are you friends? Since when exactly? ”

"Some time ago. But, you still haven't answered my question.” Jongin observed, smiling satisfactorily.

“I can't really say that I'm okay with all of this. I’m happy to have something I’ve always wanted, but I also feel horrible for doing it to my best friend.” Baekhyun confessed, looking away for fear of being judged by his cousin. "He must hate me."

"No, he doesn't hate you." Jongin said, as if he were very sure. "Of course, he was shaken when he found out, but he was also relieved to find out before the baby was born."

"Do you talk about it a lot?" Jongin replied, shaking his head silently. "And you haven't figured it out yet?"

"What exactly am I supposed to realize?" Baekhyun questioned.

"We are together."

"As?"

“I didn't really know him, but I had seen you together a long time ago. When I found out about the pregnancy and offered to help you, we got very close while working together.” Jongin explained, pausing to laugh at Baekhyun's expression. "And then you two started to get close, lie, and fall in love."

"This is unbelievable." Baekhyun babbled, remaining silent for the next few minutes, feeling Jongin's gaze on him.

"How's  _ your  _ baby doing?"

"I'm not sure, but I hope he is fine." Baekhyun replied smiling, realizing belatedly that his cousin had referred to the baby as  _ his. _

"So is it a boy?"

"Yes, I found out at the last meeting I had with the doctor."

"You said you are not sure if the baby is okay, what is going on to make you not sure?" And as always, his cousin knew how to interpret the lines perfectly.

"Since I went back to work and went to the company , I feel that he is very restless and sometimes ends up hurting me." He reported in a sad and worried tone, as this was the first time he had given voice to his thoughts.

"You must be working and stressing, your body and the baby need you to rest ." Jongin warned, also concerned about his confession.

"I can't just stop, or my parents will be informed of my irresponsibility and it will all end in a beautiful disaster." He murmured, sighing in surprise when the baby seemed to wake up in his womb and unconsciously a hand rested on his stomach.

"Are you feeling anything?" Jongin asked as he got up and sat beside him, keeping a concerned look on his stomach. "Baek ?"

"No, the baby must have woken up." He reported trying to sound calm, even though the movements persisted inside.

"You look more and more pale." Jongin observed. "Maybe this is not normal."

“Don't be paranoid. This is normal, the problem is that I am definitely not used to it.” He lied, getting up from the couch, walking to the kitchen to drink some water. With all the questions asked by his cousin, he was looking forward to being alone again and lying down and maybe getting some more sleep to calm the baby.

"Okay, I'll believe that." Jongin vocalized sarcastically. “Anyway, you seem to want to be left alone. I'm going to leave, but I'll be back soon to update you on the company's progress. ”

Baekhyun did not accompany Jongin to the door, preferring to go back to his room and stay still for the next few hours, ignoring work and calls on the cell phone forgotten somewhere in the house.

*

The morning sickness was finally over, but the mood swings were driving him fast. Nothing seemed to be enough, there were several problems that arose that required his attention and immediate solution, the meetings with the different departments of the company summarized almost 80% of his agenda and besides all that, his parents were insisting on making an appointment with the son and he still needed to rest and eat well when there was time left.

Baekhyun was stressed, tired and sad at the end of the day.

So when he gave up on going to work for the first time that week to stay home, he was waiting for the daily report that Jongin promised to send a few hours ago. His cousin really struggled to help, working overtime every day to get nearly two jobs at the company.

Baekhyun had spent the afternoon in bed, with a pile of pillows around him and with the heater practically off, leaving the whole apartment plunged in the cold because his body was always hot. And then when he heard someone typing the password at the front door, Baekhyun got up to receive Jongin, or maybe Chanyeol who had decided to come home early.

However, he stopped in the corridor when he saw one of his parents removing his shoes at the entrance to the apartment. He didn't know how the older man had discovered his password, he was going crazy mentally as he watched his father enter the room looking for his son.

"Baekhyun?" A few meters separated them and the man still had not exactly redirected his gaze to notice his situation. "You didn't take any of my calls, so I decided to come to your place." He added as he folded his coat and placed it on the sofa, finally looking up, gaping at what he found.

"Dad..."

"What is it?" The older man questioned, changing his contained smile to an expression of complete shock. "Are you pregnant?"

Even though Byun Baekho was its bearer, he never accepted the fact that his son could one day follow in his footsteps. Baekhyun was their only son from the successful couple and should only go on the business path, they had dedicated themselves to tearing up all their other dreams like getting married and having a family.

"How did this happen? Since when are you hiding it from your family?” Baekho shouted angrily and Baekhyun couldn't say anything, struggling to keep breathing and not cry in front of his father. “I can't believe that. Your father needs to know that immediately.” The man added by taking his cell phone out of his pocket, typing in his husband's number when Baekhyun stepped forward and grabbed his arm.

"Can’t we talk?" He asked looking into his father's eyes, feeling really desperate. "I can explain how it happened."

"And how exactly are you going to get  _ rid of  _ it?" The man asked, frowning as he looked down to judge the size of his belly.

"I won't get rid of my baby." Baekhyun murmured confidently. "You need to listen to me, I'm sure you will understand."

"And what are you waiting for to start explaining to me how it happened?"

"The baby is not a mistake." He explained slowly, he was sure that his father would not believe the agreement he had made with his friend, but he would tell only the truth. “A few months ago, my friend who is married found out that he couldn't have children and that left him very devastated, so we made an agreement that I would give up my uterus to give him a child. But somehow, I ended up falling in love with his husband. ”

His father shook his head, seeming not to believe any of his words.

"This is worse than getting pregnant accidentally." He commented as he walked away, running his hands desperately through his hair.

"They are no longer together."

"Nothing you add now is going to make this situation seem acceptable." Baekho roared. "I can't believe you agreed to do that."

“This is my dream, I never told you because I knew which way you wanted me to go. I also couldn't help thinking about my friend's situation. This should just be an experience, when the baby was born it would be delivered to them and I would never have any responsibility or right over it. ” Baekhyun explained, whimpering, unable to look at his father.

"So are you going to stay with the baby?"

"Yes."

"And everything we planned and built for you?" The man questioned.

"I can do both, I promise."

"I don't think that's possible." Baekho struck back. "The company's shareholders are harassing your father for what you have been doing for the past few months."

"I was not able to work, I was afraid it would do some harm to my baby." He tried to explain himself, hoping his father would understand. “I haven't been feeling well in the past few days, I haven't been getting enough rest and my whole body hurts.” He added, unable to stop himself from shedding a few tears.

"And do you still think you'll be able to work and take care of a child?" Baekho hesitated, smiling sarcastically. "Nothing is going to be easy, Baekhyun."

“I know that, I can already prove that it will not be an easy path. But, if that's what I want, I can succeed in the end.” He murmured sitting on the sofa, for he could already imagine that all this agitation would be harmful to the baby.

"You were always meant to achieve great things." Your dad said, he wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. “And I must say that finding out about your pregnancy left me very surprised. I'm not exactly happy, but you still are my son and the child will still be my grandson. "

Those words warmed his heart, making him momentarily forget all the fear he had built up if his parents had accidentally discovered it.

"So you don't hate me?"

His father sighed, finally turning in his direction before walking and sitting beside him on the sofa. “No, I don't hate you. I would be unable to hate my only son. ” Said. "But, I don't know what your father's reaction will be."

"I'm sorry."

"Are you together?" Baekho asked. "I hope the baby's other father doesn't abandon you, just like he did with his husband."

"We are together." Baekhyun replied. "He will not abandon me, he is completely in love with our baby."

"It's a boy?"

"Yes."

"And you haven't said his name yet, you're always referring to him as a baby."

"We haven't thought of a name yet."

“They should. Your belly is huge, it is unbelievable that nobody in the company has noticed and reported you.” His father commented, casting a completely different look at his belly. “I'm sorry for yelling at you. I know how difficult it is to be pregnant and strive to always do your best. ”

"Thank you so much for listening and understanding me, I've been having a lot of nightmares about it lately." His father smiled softly, stroking his hair for a few seconds. "I hope you can help me when the time finally comes ."

"I will do what I can." Your father promised. "I will have to talk to your father about this."

Before his father left, Baekhyun made sure to show the baby's room, built and decorated by Chanyeol. The older man was not convinced of his lover 's loyalty, but Baekhyun was not exactly worried about it because he was confident that he could have a happy future with Chanyeol.

Hours later, Chanyeol arrived at the house to reveal the purchases they had made for the baby. They had fun while they opened all the shopping bags, putting everything in the baby's room before deciding to start preparations for dinner. They had worked together to prepare fried kimchi, as Baekhyun confessed to missing the dish made by Chanyeol.

In the end, they watched a movie, comfortably snuggled in bed and late in the evening when they were getting ready for bed Baekhyun walked to the bathroom to take their vitamins.

Everything was exactly normal until he felt a strong kick in his ribs, making him bend with pain on the floor and soon after, a hot liquid started to run between his legs. "Chanyeol!" He cried out in despair when he realized that the liquid was blood. "Chanyeol?"

The older man entered the bathroom immediately, gaping at what he found.

"Baek , what's going on?"

"I do not know!" He wept as he was helped to be lifted off the floor.

And then it all happened quickly.

Chanyeol changed his clothes while calling the doctor who accompanied them, Baekhyun was put in the car and then taken to the hospital. He was driven in a wheelchair through the hospital corridors, taken to a room and watched as people injected a needle into his wrist, inducing something to the serum that left his mind momentarily clouded.

"Chanyeol?" He whispered the name. Immediately, the figure of his lover appeared beside him. He could feel his hand being held by the other man, taking some comfort in knowing he was not alone. "I want Kyungsoo to be here." He added and failed to register the response, watching only Chanyeol move his lips and shake his head.

Soon after, they needed to separate because Baekhyun would be taken to the operating room immediately.

He could not hear the sounds around him, only recording the movements of doctors and nurses dressed in covers, burrows and gloves. He didn't feel it when he was really anesthetized, everything stopped making sense and the bright light forced his eyes to blink more and more slowly, entering an even deeper state of unconsciousness.

Only when he heard the sound of a child crying did he open his eyes wider, noting that he was still in the same position. However, there was someone at his side holding his hand. Baekhyun recognized Kyungsoo, a tear slid down his face as he smiled when his best friend received a tiny baby in his arms.

Their son.

The devices around him started making all kinds of sounds, the baby and his friend were taken out of his line of sight and then doctors started running around the room, trying to control the bleeding due to excessive blood loss during childbirth.

*

When he opened his eyes again, his mind was still clouded, but he realized that he was no longer in an operating room, even though he was still in a hospital. All his limbs were heavy, but somehow he felt lighter.

And then when he looked down, he realized that his stomach had shrunk and before he panicked, someone appeared beside him.

"You are finally awake, baby." Chanyeol murmured softly, placing a hand over his, stroking his fingers gently.

"What happened? I can't remember anything. ”

“Our baby was born. Our son is fine, Baek . But, it needs to be kept in the neonatal ICU, because it was born way ahead of time. ” Chanyeol explained and Baekhyun was sad to discover that he couldn't finally meet his baby, hold him in his arms and smell him.

"I-..."

"It's okay, you'll be able to meet him soon." Chanyeol tried to reassure him, but all Baekhyun wanted to do was get up from that bed and find his baby wherever he was in that hospital.

"I'm so sorry."

"You should never apologize, ever." The other whispered as he wiped away his tears, placing a soft kiss on his lips. They were immediately interrupted when two people entered the room quietly, Kyungsoo and Jongin.

"Is he fine?" Jongin asked as he approached, smiling at his cousin. “Congratulations Baek. Your baby is absolutely beautiful.” He said while revealing blue balloons in different shapes and a lovely teddy bear, he put everything on the table next to the bed where the baby should be.

"Thank you, Jonginnie." Baekhyun managed to say through tears, happy for the presence of the people he loved. And then Kyungsoo also approached the bed, there was a happy smile on his face, he was hesitating to approach. "I remember you were with me."

Kyungsoo nodded and came over to put himself in Chanyeol's place. "I was surprised when I got the call, I didn't expect it to happen now."

"Thanks for accompanying me."

"I have to thank you, I was very happy to be with you." Kyungsoo murmured, leaning down to kiss his hair. " _ Your  _ baby is beautiful, and it is a boy."

"We already knew that." Chanyeol kind of whispered. Baekhyun was tense as he watched the exchange of looks between the couple, but he should have talked earlier and reached a friendship agreement. “We were waiting for you to wake up before choosing the name. I thought of Park DoHyun.” Chanyeol lover said.

"DoHyun." Baekhyun said simply. “It is perfect.” He murmured, casting a quick look at Kyungsoo and Jongin, who also appreciated the name.

His friends said goodbye, claiming that Baekhyun's parents would be arriving soon and that they were worried, Baekho and Hyunshik came in carrying gifts and big smiles. His other father had received the news of the birth hours after discovering that he would be a grandfather and was very moved and looking forward to meeting his son and grandson.

And when everyone had left after visiting hours closed, a nurse came into the room carrying the baby in an incubator. Baekhyun was agitated when he realized that he was about to meet his son, Chanyeol had also been unable to contain himself and made a point of taking the baby and giving it to the other father.

"Hello Daddy." He whispered in a childish voice as he handed the baby over to Baekhyun.

Their son was small and perfect, he looked incredibly fragile from being born ahead of time, but he was absolutely perfect. His face seemed to be an exact copy of his photos when he was his age with small, slightly slanted eyes, an irresistible mouth and plump cheeks.

"Hello, my little DoHyun." He murmured as he smiled, hugging his son and smelling him for the first time. Baekhyun was immensely proud of the strength and perseverance of his baby, who had won high praise from doctors after hours of a complicated delivery and the absence of complications in the ICU.

DoHyun would only need to gain a few grams to be released from the neonatal ICU, to finally be placed alongside Baekhyun and Chanyeol.

They enjoyed their son's presence, learning some special care they would take with the baby and its feeding. Baekhyun found himself fascinated while watching his son being fed, feeling the happiest person in the world at that moment with the two people he loved by his side.

He hadn't realized until that point that all he needed was just one reason to be happy: to build his own  _ family _ .


End file.
